Hotel California
by LadyLanham526
Summary: Shane leaves the group only to find refuge with another, but what happens when his past catches up to him, and to the new girl in his life? Better than my summary, I promise. Worth a look! Shane/OFC, eventual Rick OFC, no slash, rated M for sex, light drug use, and language
1. Finding a new life

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

**Welcome to the Hotel California...**

Shane had been on the road for two days. He hadn't told anyone he was leaving, he just got into his truck and drove away from the farm they had been living on. It had been over for a long time, he knew that. Rick was back, Lori had denied him, they didn't need him anymore. After the fight at the school when he and Rick had nearly killed each other, Shane knew it was only going from bad to worse. He had been abandoned.

The walkers were moving out of the cities. Shane had decided to head west, toward Mississippi. He didn't know what he might find, but it was better than what he had left in his rear view mirror. Thoughts of Lori swirled through his head and he gripped the steering wheel of the old truck tightly. He was trying to push it away, but they persisted. He sighed irritatedly and rubbed the top of his shaved head with his palm. Glancing up at the road signs on the highway, he saw he was nearing Birmingham. Squinting into the bright sunlight, he could see the outlines of tall buildings in the distance. The idea of heading into a city was not a welcome one, and he pulled the car across two lanes so he could stay on the main drag and pass the city by.

A beep sounded from the dashboard and he glanced down to see the gas light come on. He knew he had been getting low but it was worse than he'd thought. He'd have to stop, siphon some fuel from the abandoned cars that were becoming more plentiful along the roadway. He glanced in the mirror behind him as he slowed the vehicle. Coming to a stop, he took a moment to be sure nothing was moving, alive or otherwise. The highway had been carved out of the side of a huge hill, and the left side was bordered by a tall concrete wall. The right side looked over a valley, so that meant he only had to contend with the threat from behind or in front of him. Not as bad as it could be, he thought. Getting out of the truck quietly, he reached into the back and retrieved two huge gas cans and a plastic tube. Making his way over to the nearest car, a minivan with blood smeared windows, he dropped the cans and started to pry the latch on the gas tank open.

A shuffling from behind him caught his attention and he spun around, grabbing the gun at his side as he did so. The walker must have been in one of the cars, because he hadn't seen it as he pulled up. He took aim and fired, hitting it in the forehead. Old, congealed blood burst out of the back of its skull and it dropped to the ground with a thud. He heard a groan and turned around again. Another one, an old lady with half her face missing, was coming at him from his left. He fired again she went down. There weren't any more for the minute and he set about his chore as fast as he could. He had drained the minivan and was headed to a nearby Cherokee with a dead body in the drivers seat when he heard more groans.

"Fuck!" He growled and abandoned the second car. He had enough to get the truck down the road before he had to stop again. He fired at the two walkers headed his way from the front of his truck, two more from the left. He darted back to his truck and started to fill the tank, but he could see three more coming down the road ahead. There wasn't enough ammo in his gun and not enough time to do anything but drop the can and duck back into the cab. Before he knew it, he was surrounded.

He was reloading when he heard the shots start. He ducked and held his gun up to his chest, waiting to fire back if he needed to. But to his surprise, the walkers around his truck started to drop, and he stuck his arm out and fired, taking out two more on his right side. The last one dropped and he heard a whoop come from the trees above the concrete wall.

"I said, Goddamn!" Came a cheerful cry and Shane looked up to see a figure in army fatigues start to rappel down the side of the tall structure. It was followed by another, and they landed on the highway lightly. Shane still had his finger on the trigger as he got out of his truck and stepped over the fallen bodies to meet them.

Their hats were pulled low and their faces covered, but as they approached him the first one pulled his mask down and grinned.

"Well, looky here. I didn't think there was anybody left." He said in a calm, friendly manner, but his companion just shouldered the long range rifle he had and stayed silent.

"Thanks, man." Shane nodded, eying them both closely. "Ran outta gas." The man was a little younger than him. Shorter but muscular, with two Glocks in holsters around his waist.

"You got a gift for timing, dude." The guy laughed, his green eyes sparkling mischievously "Didn't you know there was a herd moving through here?"

Shane frowned. "Nah. That didn't look like a herd. They were coming from all different directions and there weren't enough."

The young man nodded down at the gas can. "I suggest you go ahead and finish that. And, uh, _that's_ the herd."

He pointed to a bend in the roadway in the distance ahead and Shane saw figures start to shamble into view. And it didn't stop. He backed up reflexively and took aim, but realized that there wasn't going to be much he was going to be able to do. He grabbed the gas can and dumped the rest into the tank.

Looking back, Shane was deeply surprised to see that neither one of the men looked even remotely concerned. The quiet one hopped into the bed and the talker made himself at home in the passenger seat.

"We should probably get going, man." He said. Shane swung himself in behind the wheel and revved the truck, throwing it into reverse.

"Head back down the hill." He heard and whipped the truck around, going back the way he had came.

"See that ramp up ahead?" The man pointed ahead and Shane saw an off ramp to the right just up ahead. He sped the car up the wrong way and squealed tires as he headed up the hill and away from the herd. They were quickly out of sight and he turned his attention back to the guy.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Dean." He answered and stuck his hand out. Shane took it warily. "That's Sam back there. And you are?"

"Shane."

"Nice to meetcha." He said, and focused back on the road. "There- pull in there."

Shane saw a place open in the trees a few yards ahead beside the road and he pulled in, hearing the crunch of gravel under the tires. They were still headed up the hill, and he found a clearing on the other side of the trees. A huge wrought iron gate stood at the top of the clearing, flanked by tall concrete walls. It looked almost like what a prison gate would, excepted there was a L & M emblazoned in the metal. Shane pulled up to it and stopped, and Sam hopped out of the back and went to the massive chain and lock that was securing the gate. Unlatching it, we swung the gate open wide enough for the truck to get through and waited. Shane narrowed his eyes uncertainly, hesitating for a moment. If he went in, he'd be locked in.

"Some time today, pal." Dean said lightly and Shane pressed down on the pedal, coming to a stop on the other side. Sam relocked the gate and hopped back up. "Over the hill. And we're there."

"We're where?" Shane asked, but as he rounded the crest he saw what Dean meant. A gray stone structure lay before him, and as he pulled closer he could see that it was overlooking the city. It looked very rectangular and fairly narrow, all concrete and steel, nothing soft about it at all. Large metal grates covered every opening , and several vehicles were parked in a cluster beside it. The prison thought from before once again drifted through his mind. Shane pulled the truck up to them and stopped. They got out and he followed the men to one of the metal gates. Dean pushed a button on the wall and looked up into a camera tucked discreetly in an alcove above them.

"Hi Honey. I'm home." He quipped, and the gate in before them jolted suddenly, making Shane jump a little despite himself. It rapidly slid to the left, and they stepped through the opening, the gate sliding shut behind them with a loud clanking sound.

"What is this place?" Shane asked as he followed them through a door on the other side.

"This place was built by a seriously paranoid guy with more money than God. When the world went to shit, we figured this would be safer than anywhere. Gotta love paranoid delusions, huh? Turns out the guy was right to be worried." He explained as he led Shane through a tall doorway and into a lobby with staircases on each side. They led to a loft type viewing area above. It was concrete in here too, cold and bare of any furnishings. Above them was a long row of windows looking down over the hill and city below. Dean went to a keypad next two a set of metal doors on the wall in front of them and hit a couple buttons. The doors slid back, revealing an elevator. They stepped in and he clicked a button. The doors slid shut and Shane felt them move down.

"Anyway, now, we call it home. Well, Trouble calls it 'Hotel California' but I have yet to know why." Dean finished casually and tilted his head over at Shane as they descended. Sam removed his hat and mask and shook his head, running a hand through his hair. Shane saw he was about the same age as Dean, though he was several inches taller. He wore a distant expression and leaned against the wall casually, listening to Dean talk.

"Trouble?" Shane said questioningly.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll meet Trouble."


	2. Trouble

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Introducing the base characters here, delving into personality but that will grow with the story... Thanks for reading!_

The elevator stopped and the doors slid back open to reveal a large and beautiful room. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, wood floors stretch out under them. There were tables along the walls to the right that held sculptures and intricately carved statues of people and exotic animals. Shane stepped forward and saw deep couches and chairs off to one side, facing a huge flat screen television in the wall.

"Well, there would be me and Sam. And that's Ian and Tanner." He said, gesturing to the men who had emerged from a doorway across the room.

"You bringing strays back again, Dean?" Ian said flatly, giving Shane a once over with his narrowed, intensely blue eyes. He was shorter than Shane and had black hair that was stylishly mussed. He wore a black shirt that was open at the collar and dark blue jeans. He had an arrogant air about him that irritated Shane a little. He wasn't going to like this guy, he thought grimly.

"Had to. He was getting ready to drive straight into a herd and I didn't think it would be neighborly to watch him get his ass handed to him." Dean grinned and shrugged his army jacket off and toss it across the back of one of the couches. "This is Shane."

Ian and Tanner reached out and shook his hand. Sam left through the doorway they had come through, passing another guy as he did so.

"Did the herd pass by yet?" The guy asked, hesitating a moment when he saw Shane. He was older than any of them, short and stocky build.

"Almost." Dean answered. "Anna in the kitchen?"

"Yeah. Who's this?" He nodded and looked at Shane warily.

"Found him down on the highway getting himself into some trouble. "Shane, this is Warren. Found him and his wife Anna a few months ago. Good thing too, 'cuz she's the best cook I've ever seen."

Warren nodded his hello and gave a half hearted smile. Shane could tell he didn't trust him by a long shot.

"Where's Trouble?" Dean asked him.

Suddenly, a voice came from a speaker in the wall, startling Shane a little.

"Where do you think, genius?" A female voice said and Dean grinned up at another camera in the corner. "What's with the Hulk?"

"Brought you a new playmate, Trouble. I know you've been getting bored."

"Screw you." Came the response, and Shane stifled a chuckle. Dean glanced over at him.

"And that would be Trouble." He said with a grin. "Except for the bedrooms and bathrooms this whole place is wired for and sound. Come on, I'll introduce you."

He started to lead Shane through the doorway Sam had disappeared through, but Trouble's voice came through.

"Don't leave your crap laying around. Anna just cleaned your shit up this morning."

Dean laughed and went back, retrieving his jacket from the couch. He held up his hands in mock surrender and headed back through the doorway.

"How'd it go?" Trouble asked Sam as he entered.

"Herd seems to be moving past, but we should go back out later to be sure, kill any stragglers." He said and came over and kissed the top of her head affectionately. She nodded, biting her lip as she thought about it. She looked back at the living room camera and watched the new arrival. He was huge, his shirt sleeves strained around his muscular arms and broad chest. His head was shaved and his face was rugged. Looked like he had broken his nose more than a few times and it was slightly bumpy in a handsome kind of way. His jaw was broad and his brown eyes looked like he was more than a little worn out.

"Found a survivor, I see." She said casually, keeping her eyes on the screen.

"Uh, yeah." Sam said as he clicked the magazine out of his handgun and checking it. "Got stuck on the highway right in front of the herd. Seems non homicidal enough."

"Huh." She responded and cranked her music up a little. They were headed her way.

The hallway was long and dim, and Shane saw a doorway at the far end. Soft, bumping strains of rock music became louder as they neared it, and Dean swung the door open, striding through. Shane followed him inside and saw it was a security room, one wall lined with weapons of all shapes and sizes. Long barrel rifles, semi automatics, handguns and knives. Sam was getting his out and hanging them up. Another wall was covered in screens showing different parts of the compound and surrounding grounds. Lounging back in an office chair with a foot up on the desk and flipping a wicked looking bowie knife in her hand, was one of the most beautiful girls Shane had ever seen.

She was young, maybe 19 or 20, with long blond hair that framed her face, spilled over her shoulders and down her back. She had big green eyes that looked over at them disinterestedly, and beautifully shaped, full lips. Her olive skin was smooth and slightly tanned, the torn black tee shirt she wore tied up above her stomach showing off a small piercing on her bellybutton. Her jeans hung low on her hips and clung tightly to her legs. Shane couldn't take his eyes off her.

"So you're Shane." She said evenly, turning down the music and leaning even further back in her chair. "It's a good thing they found you. Dean needs a new sparring partner. He's tired of me kicking his ass."

"Funny. That's funny." Dean said, leaning over to kiss the top of her head. "My cousin, the comedian."

Shane raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Cousin?"

She nodded. "They both are." She said, jabbing a thumb back at Sam, who glanced up at her and smiled.

"Well," Dean said suddenly. "I'm going to unload and go get a beer. You wanna give him the tour, Trouble? That, is, if he wants to stick around a while."

"Uh, yeah." Shane said with a shrug. This place was a fortress. He'd never be able to find a place like this again, and he was sick of being on the road. Plus, this girl... Damn.

She sighed and stood up, twisting her head and stretching her neck. She grabbed a handgun from the desk and tucked in the back of the waistband of her jeans. "Fine. I'm sick of sitting here anyway."

She passed him and headed out the door and he followed closely behind, trying to keep his eyes off her ass. She was several inches shorter than him and moved with a quiet, swaying confidence that was extremely alluring. Shane took a deep breath in and let it out slowly.

They headed back into the common area, and she led him through a door he hadn't seen against the back.

"We're fully equipped here with electricity, as you can see." She was saying, looking back at him. "Got solar panels on the roof and three generators on the property. They work like sleeper cells, if one goes down another one starts up to pick up the slack. Running water from a private source. And," She said, entering a large, bright room. "This is the kitchen. Anna, Dean brought you another mouth to feed."

A small, rotund woman poked her head up from the over, where she was sliding a dish in. She smiled warmly at Shane and he nodded politely.

"Ma'am." He said.

"Well, this is a surprise. We haven't seen anyone else for so long." She said, smiling.

"Anna, this is Shane."

"It's nice to meet you, dear."

Trouble cocked her head. "Whatcha makin'?"

"It's a surprise. Go on now, show this young man around and get out of here so you don't ruin it." She said gently, shooing them out.

"Fully stocked kitchen, enough food to feed us a good long time." She said as they continued on. She pointed to a couple doors across from the kitchen. "Three loaded pantries, two walk in freezers besides what's in the kitchen, and a laundry room back that way." They moved back into the common area and through a doorway on the left side. It led into another long, dim hallway, but this one was lined with doors, all closed.

"We have 14 bedrooms, each one with each own bathroom. Seven here, and the rest downstairs." She looked back at him. "When was the last time you had a shower or slept in a real bed?"

"It's been a while." He admitted with a small smile. This place was incredible.

"You can have this one." She said, opening one of the doors and standing back so he could go in. It had thick, deep blue carpet and the walls were off white. The lighting was soft and a king size bed was against the far wall. Large flat screen television lined the opposing wall, for all it was worth. There wasn't anything to watch anymore. She seemed to read his mind because she pointed to a remote on a bedside table. "TV is able to access a movie database if you ever want to watch it."

"Huh." He said, impressed. "Looks like you guys are set up."

"Not done yet, cowboy. Come on." She said and led him out the door and further down the hallway. There was another elevator and she pushed the button. The doors slid open and they went in.

"We're two floors underground. Soundproof. You can make all the noise you want and the geeks'll never hear you." They emerged from the elevator and Shane saw they were outside an exercise room. There was a treadmill and weights along one wall and a punching bag, a sparring dummy, and more weapons lining the walls.

"Man..." He said, taking it all in. "How long have you been here?"

"Uh, going on five months now. Dean knew about this place, but it took us some time to get in. The guy who lived here was already gone."

She went back to the elevator and they started back up. When the door opened again, Shane saw they were back in the concrete lobby they had started in at the surface. She led him up one of the staircases to the partial floor above. Through the windows, Shane could see miles ahead toward the decimated city. Right below, he could see a part of the highway he had been traveling.

"Windows are tinted so if we do have to turn the lights on up here at night it can't be seen from the road." She was explaining as he gazed out into the distance. Entire perimeter is secured with a concrete wall a foot thick and seven feet high, only way in and out is through the gate. Movement on the grounds at night floodlights and an alarm we can hear below.

"Nice." He said, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, wait till you meet Bruiser." She quipped and he looked at her, confused. "He's a fat ass little raccoon. He's big enough to set off the alarm and he does it at all the time. It's freakin' annoying but Sam won't let me kill him."

He chuckled a little at that. They fell silent for a moment, looking out into the stillness of the pre dusk evening. The sun was low enough so the sky was turning brilliant shades of pink, purple, and orange.

So," She said after a while, turning to look up at him."You wanna go get one of those beers?"

"Hell yeah."

He was way cuter in person than on the monitor, Trouble thought as she led him around. She was, by no means, a giggly school girl and she didn't pay too much attention to things like that. He seemed nice enough. Dean wouldn't have brought him back if he had thought he was a threat to their safety, and she was fine with that. He was quiet, which was a nice change of pace from some of her cousin's loudmouth ways.

It would be nice having someone new around, she thought.


	3. Good Night

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

They found Sam and Dean on the couches in the living room, and Shane plopped down in one of the armchairs. Trouble went to a cabinet on the wall and opened it to reveal a small fridge. She reached inside, grabbed two bottles, and walked back over to him. She handed one to him and took a seat on the arm of one of the couches.

"Where's Tanner and Ian?" She asked, twisting the cap off her beer and taking a big swig.

"Went to check the gate again, make sure no geeks followed us back." Sam said, taking a drink of his own beer. Shane opened his and took a long draw off of it. It was ice cold and tasted better than he ever remembered anything tasting. He was actually starting to relax a little.

"Cool." She said, moving to another armchair. She sat down and threw a leg over the arm. Shane tried not to stare. She had long, graceful legs and a charming carefree demeanor that suited her. He could definitely see that she was related to Dean. He had the same sort of easy going attitude.

"So, Shane. Tell us about you." Sam said, looking over at him intently.

"Not much to tell." Shane answered, sitting up and rubbing his bottle between his palms. "Came from Atlanta. Was with a group. Didn't work out."

"Well, that's nice and vague." Trouble said, narrowing her eyes a little at him. "What happened?"

He shrugged, and he was sure it was evident he didn't want to talk about it. "I dunno. I tried to keep them safe, but they didn't wanna protect themselves. Kept trying to get each other killed. Was gonna get me killed. I don't no part of that."

"I get that." Dean said. "Well, don't gotta worry about that here, buddy."

Shane gave a little laugh and nodded at that. Suddenly the elevator opened behind them and they all looked over to see Ian and Tanner emerge, dressed in fatigues like Sam and Dean had been, masks pulled down around their necks.

"All good?" Dean asked, craning his neck back at them.

"We're good. Looks like they've passed by fine." Tanner said, and Dean nodded his approval.

"Sweet." He said and took another drink. They shrugged off their jackets and dropped their hats, grabbed a couple beers and flopped down into the couch across from them.

"Dinner is ready. Is everyone back?" Anna came from the direction of the kitchen and smiled warmly when she saw them sitting around. It was clear she looked at them like her children, and liked taking care of them.

"Awesome. I'm _starving_." Trouble hopped up from her chair and went into the kitchen.

"I'll get Warren." Ian said and headed toward the control room. Shane headed toward the kitchen like everyone else, and Anna grabbed his arm as they walked.

"I made you a place, dear. I hope you like fried chicken." She smiled and he nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you."

"Such nice manners," She said, patting his arm. "Just lovely."

He had a chance to look more closely at the large room as they entered. It was larger than he realized, bright track lighting making everything look clear and shining. The appliances were all brushed metal and shone. An attached dinning area held a large table flanked with chairs, and it was loaded with bowls and plates full of food. It smelled amazing, and Shane let Anna lead him to a chair that sat across from Trouble, who was already loading her plate. She was so slender, Shane didn't know how she was going to put all that away, but she didn't seem to be having any issues. He grinned to himself. She acted like one of the boys, he could see. Dean shoved his elbow in her side when she reached and grabbed a plate out of his hands and he saw her sock his arm playfully.

"Watch it, dick." She said, and darted her eyes back to Anna, who was giving her a disapproving look. "Sorry, Anna." She said, abashed, and shot a resentful glare back to Dean, who just grinned.

Warren and Ian arrived and grabbed a couple chairs. Shane focused on the food, taking a big bite of Anna's chicken. It was delicious, and he quickly finished the first two pieces, reaching out to grab more. Anna knew what she was doing, he thought happily. He was feeling better than he had in months.

Everyone ate silently, mouths too full to talk, and Anna looked over them happily, enjoying that they liked her cooking so much. Warren kept shooting wary glances Shane's way, but he didn't much care at the moment.

"So, what're we watchin' tonight?" Dean said, taking one last bite and sitting back in his chair, looking around expectantly. "'Cuz I'm calling Caddyshack."

"Dude, we've got a thousand movies and you want to watch that _again_?" Tanner asked incredulously.

"Hell yeah. It's a classic." Dean shot back, looking shocked.

"I want to watch Zombieland." Trouble said and the rest of the table groaned.

"No zombie movies!" They all cried in unison and she shot a glare around the table.

Laughing they started getting up and grabbing plates and bowls, taking them to the sink. They dumped scraps and for a few minutes it was just quiet chatter and the sounds of rinsing and clinking of glasses. Shane did as they did and ended up rinsing his plate with Trouble. She looked up and him flicked the corner of her mouth up. She leaned down and stuck a plate into the dishwasher, reaching back at him and taking his plate as well.

"Thanks." He said, leaning back against the counter. It didn't take long and they had finished, everyone else giving Anna pecks on the cheek, thanking her for dinner, as they left the kitchen and headed back into the common area. They started grabbing more beers out of the fridge there and relaxing on the chairs and sofas. Shane took a place on a small loveseat and watched them silently. Trouble came and sank into the couch next to him, handing him a bottle. He took it with a smile, twisting the cap off and tossing it onto the coffee table like the others. He felt almost normal in the casual, easy setting, and he was enjoying it immensely. It was so different from what he had back at Hershel's farm. The tense anxiety that had flooded through his body at any given moment, the strained interactions with Rick and Lori.

Lori. It was the first time she had crossed his mind in a while, and he frowned slightly, staring at the drink in his hand. They would be safe here, and the insane notion of bringing them all here darted into his brain. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He pushed the thoughts aside and focused on the ambient conversations going on around him. Sam was arguing with Tanner about the validity of some director's work, and Dean was rolling his eyes and interjecting now and then about how Sam was an idiot. Trouble burst out in laughter at something Tanner had said, and he turned his attention back to her. She was leaning back and the bottle was to her lips. He took and swig and rubbed his palm against his pants. She was stunning in the soft light. Her hair glowed a soft honey color, streaking with paler strands around her face. When she bit her lip absently, he felt his heart thump hard against his ribcage.

Anna came into the room with Warren and they excused themselves to their room for the rest of the night. Everyone murmured their goodnights, and they headed off down the hallway. Shane stood up and tossed his empty bottle into a trash can under a table nearby. He slipped away from the group and headed to the bedroom Trouble had shown him earlier.

When he emerged from the bathroom, he stopped and stood in the room alone for a minute. His brain wouldn't shut up. He knew he had had an incredible stroke of luck, coming across these people, this place. They could live here, quite comfortably, for a very long time. Maybe even until this whole mess in the world was over. He sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed, rubbing his head absently with his palm. Trouble, he thought. It was an appropriate name. Any woman that looked like that was sure to spell trouble.

"I brought you some clean clothes." A voice came from the doorway and his head snapped up to see her leaning against the door jam, folded garments in hand. "I noticed you didn't bring much with you."

"Thanks." He said, standing up, and she stepped forward and handed them to him. He was a little surprised to see her take a seat on the edge of the bed and look up at him.

"Don't mention it. And, uh, you might not want to mention it to Sam either. I stole them from him." She gave a wicked little smile and he chuckled.

"I won't." He tossed them on the bed and sat down next to her.

"The shirt might be a little tight." She said apologetically. "We'll try to find something else soon."

"Thanks." He said again, and looked into her big green eyes. She sat there a minute, quietly returning his gaze before she bit her lip and looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Well," She said, standing up and sticking her thumbs in her belt loops. "I know you probably want to get some sleep. You look like you've been up for days."

He shrugged a little. He _was_ tired, and the beers, as good as they were, had given him a little buzz. He had the distinct longing to reach up and kiss her, but he quelled that notion fast. He didn't want to get kicked out the first night.

"Good night." She said and closed the door behind herself, leaving him alone. He groaned and flopped back on the bed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He wanted to have a go at that shower, but he didn't have the energy. Laying there with his eyes closed, he drifted off into sleep fast and hard, and more deeply than he had in a long, _long_ time.


	4. Tunage

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

A shrill beeping startled him awake, and he sat straight up, wondering what it was. He stood up and opened the door. He saw a figure disappear down the end of the hall and followed it quickly. It darted down into the shadows toward the control room. A second later, the beeping stopped. Shane reached the door of the control room and saw Trouble leaning over the desk and gazing intensely into the monitors above her. She had obviously been woken like him. She was dressed in a dark blue tank top that clung to her tightly and tiny white shorts that showed off her long, athletic legs, and she was barefoot. Her hair hung in tendrils around her face. She glanced over and saw him the door.

"It's ok." She said, her attention back on the screens. She found the angle she was looking for and toggled it swiftly with her thumb, bringing the image closer. "I think it was just Bruiser."

He came to stand behind her, looking at the image she was scanning. In the monitor he could see a nightvision image of a patch of grass beside a concrete wall. He wasn't sure where it was on the property, but a movement caught his eye and he squinted into it, trying to see better. It _was_ the raccoon she had mentioned, and boy it was big. It sluggishly drug its hefty body down the screen, searching for food. She sighed, and straightened up, rubbing the bridge of her nose with one hand tiredly.

"God, I'm going to shoot that thing." She moaned into her hand. She put her hands on her hips and looked at him with sleepy eyes. "You ok?"

He realized she was looking down at his clothes. He hadn't changed, and she was probably was wondering why.

"Yeah. I dozed off."

"Sorry it woke you up."

"It's ok." He said, staring back up at the screens behind her. She sighed and scratched the back of her head absently.

"Well, I think that's enough for tonight." She said and walked past him and out the door. She didn't go back to the bedroom though, he saw as he followed. She headed toward the kitchen, and he paused in the common room for a moment and bit his lip. Following her into the kitchen, he squinted in the sudden bright light, and saw her put two small glasses on the counter. She pulled a large bottle of vodka from a freezer and poured two shots and picked one up, looking at him over the rim of the glass as she took a sip.

He picked up the other glass and raised it to his lips. The liquor burned his mouth and throat, warming his stomach quickly. He took another swallow, enjoying it.

She was staring intently at him, and when he drained the last of it from the glass and sat it down on the counter, she picked up and bottle and poured him another.

"You don't talk much, do you?" She asked.

"Why do they call you Trouble?" He answered her question with another question, feeling a good fuzziness drift up from his chest and settle over him. He hadn't drank in such a long time.

He watched her finish her drink and pour another. He was already almost through his second one, and the comfortable fuzziness intensified a little. "My mother started it. She used to say that it followed me everywhere. I guess it stuck. Been that way long as I can remember."

"What's your real name?" He tilted his head at her.

"Never bothered to ask. It's as good a name as any." She answered and he felt a deep respect for her disregard for those kinds of things. She seemed so strong.

"What do you miss the most? About the world before all this started." She took another sip and watched him closely.

He thought it for a second. He picked up the bottle and poured himself another drink as he spoke. "Driving. It used to be that I'd get bored or mad or somethin', and I'd just get into my truck, roll down and windows and drive. Not to any place. Just, drivin' for the hell of it."

She nodded understandingly. Tilted his face up at her. She looked so beautiful it almost hurt.

"You? What do you miss?" He asked, leaning against the counter.

"Sitting in the sun." She said almost sadly, looking down at her glass and twisting it on the counter. She looked back up at him and bit her lip. "I miss that."

Maybe it was the alcohol, but it was becoming a little distracting for Trouble, standing so closely to Shane. He was looking at her with those gorgeous brown eyes, every time she met his eyes she felt like he was looking right through her. She cleared her throat and downed the last of her glass. She grabbed the bottle and headed out of the kitchen and down the hallway. She felt him behind her, as she clicked the button on the elevator at the end of the hallway. They rode in silence to the floor below and she stepped out before him. She picked up a remote on small table and clicked it. The room was suddenly filled with music

"Ramble On?" He said, looking at her with disbelief. He loved this song. "How freakin' old are you?"

"This is a classic, man." She balked at him and went to the training mat on the floor. She sank down on it and crossed her long legs underneath her body, pouring herself another drink before sitting the bottle on the ground beside her.

"_I _know that. I'm just surprised you do. You weren't _born _yet." He said, stifling a grin and coming to join her on the floor. He stretched his legs out in front of himself and leaned back so he was resting on his elbow and looking up at her.

"I didn't realize age was a music requirement." She said. "Excuse me while I flip to Justin Bieber."

"I _will_ leave." He said flatly and she grinned.

"He goes from stoic silence to cracking jokes in under ten minutes." She said to the air with a smile. "You must be getting tipsy."

"Nice and comfortable." He corrected her, and grabbed the bottle.

"You better slow down there, cowboy." She said. "You pass out on me I'm gonna leave you down here."

The song faded, and the next one started, eliciting a confused tilt of his head at her.

"See, now I know you're bullshitting me." He said. "Bob Seger?"

"Turn The Page was a pivotal piece. There's a reason it was remade." She responded casually. "Too bad Metallica were douches. It's a sad legacy."

He laughed out loud at that. If it was possible, she had exceeded her impressiveness with him. Look that good AND have excellent taste in music?

"Where'd you learn this stuff?" He asked and realized he was slurring a little. He sat up and tried to focus.

"Eh." She shrugged. "Just always loved it, I guess. Plus, bonus that some of what I listen to drives Dean up the wall. He can't understand how somebody can have Pink Floyd and M.I.A. On the same playlist. I crank that shit up."

He laughed and took another drink. "You never answered me." He said. She wrinkled her eyebrows at him in confusion and he clarified. "How old are you?"

"What, you a cop? You carding me now, cuz I gotta tell you, it's a little late for that." She quipped and took a drink from her glass.

"Actually, yeah. I was a cop." He answered with a tilt of his head.

"Well, hell. Then you're contributing to the corruption of a minor, Officer." She innocently raised her eyebrows. "I'm 20."

"I think I can look the other way this time." He crossed his arms and rested them on his knees.

She grinned and clinked her glass to his. "Cheers." She sighed at him. "So, how long you been on the road?"

He shrugged. "Long time. This is... probably the most normal I've felt since all this crap went down. This place is really amazing." He looked around the room and took a deep breath. "Man, this is hitting me hard."

"What are you, a lightweight?" She said teasingly, and her eyes widened suddenly. "Oh hell yes. I love this song."

The first strains of "Crazy Bitch" started blaring from the speakers and she grabbed the remote, turning it up. She jumped up, glass still in hand, and started dancing. She raised her arms and swayed, singing along with the music. He watched her with fascination. She was limber and moving smoothly, dipping and swaying along with the beat. A warmth started crawling up his body and began to settle in his lower stomach. When it was over, she sighed and flopped back down next to him.

"We better stop." She said, putting the cap back on the bottle. "It's almost morning."

"Yeah." He said softly, looking back down at his glass. He downed the last swallow and cleared his throat.

She clicked the remote and the music faded.

Shane showered a long time. The hot water felt fantastic and he felt it start to wash away the fuzziness the alcohol had enveloped him with. There were little bottles of soap and shampoo and he lathered up and rinsed a couple times. He thought about Trouble, and their conversation. He felt the warmth back in his stomach again, and as it moved lower his thoughts drifted to her honey colored hair, and they way she had danced. He took himself in his hand and stroked slowly, groaning softly into the inside of his elbow as he leaned against the shower wall. He started moving faster, the water and soap making everything warm and slick. He closed his eyes and focused on her lips, so full and red, wishing they were against his skin, licking and nipping at his flesh. He breathed hard and fast as he stroked himself, and felt the tingling of his climax nearing. Those long, tanned legs, wrapped around his waist and how he would thrust against her, wrapped in her soft warmth.

Gasping, his eyes flew opened as he went of the edge. He stood there for a moment, breathing hard against his arm and legs trembling under the weight of his body. He licked his lips and raised his face against the hot water, letting it wash over him. Goddamn, he thought. Letting out a long breath, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel that was hanging over the bar outside and dried himself off.

Trouble had tucked a pair of socks and a new toothbrush into the clothes she had brought. He dressed quickly and brushed his teeth. She was right about the shirt. It strained against his muscular arms, but it didn't bother him much. He put his gun in his holster, opened the door and made his way down the hallway. Sam and Dean were leaving their rooms at the same time and fell into step with him.

"You get some rest, man?" Dean asked him.

"Yeah, thanks." Shane shot a glance over at him and nodded. Especially since the shower, he thought. His brain had cleared completely.

"Good, cuz we need you on point today." Dean said.

"Why?" Shane asked.

"We're going out." Dean grinned.


	5. She lives for this

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

The kitchen was bustling with activity. Anna was fussing over a frying pan on the stove, Tanner was digging into a pan of cinnamon rolls she had set out to cool, and Warren was finishing setting the table. Ian and Trouble sat at the table, deep in conversation, and hardly seemed to notice when the three of them entered the room. Shane took the seat he had the night before and tried not to stare at Trouble. She had showered too and had swept her long hair off her face in a high ponytail. She had put on a tight black sleeveless v neck shirt that dipped low, hinting at the fullness of her cleavage below. It was short, not reaching the top of her tight black pants. He caught sight of the sparkling bellybutton piercing and he felt a jolt go through his pelvis. He pulled close to the table, hoping no one would notice his own fullness grow a little.

Ian sat back and looked at him as Anna swept between he and Trouble, sitting a plate loaded with bacon on the table.

"Morning, sunshine. Sleep well?" He said, his voice still had the cocky edge from before and Shane shot him a glance before he grabbed the coffee carafe off the table and poured himself a cup. Trouble had a huge mug in front of her, too, he saw and assumed she was still feeling the effects of the alcohol.

"It was fine." Shane answered shortly, taking a big drink of coffee.

"Well, I _was_ sleeping well." Dean said from the end of the table as he loaded his plate. "At least until somebody decided to crank up the tunage in the freakin' middle of the night." He shot a glare at Trouble and made a face at him.

"Uhhh." She groaned sarcastically at him, and took a long drink from her mug. Shane saw her eyes dart over at him and he coughed into his hand. He focused on his plate, taking a big bite of the eggs Anna had handed him.

"So, what are the stakes today?" Sam asked, rubbing his hands together and raising his eyebrows in anticipation.

"Loser has to clean the kitchen for Anna for a week." Tanner mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"And the winner?" Sam asked.

"Winner gets..." Tanner said slowly, thinking. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "Got it, winner gets a slave for the next 24 hours. Has to whatever they say, no matter how dumb."

"Who's the slave?" Sam asked, clearly concerned this could go very, very wrong.

Tanner shrugged. "Winner gets to pick, I guess."

"Alright. I'm in." Sam said. Ian noticed the confused look on Shane's face and spoke up.

"Hit something we can eat, it's 15 points, walkers are 20. Drop the most with the least amount of ammunition, you win." He explained. "Verified and witnessed kill only. None of this, 'I shot it, I swear!' crap, _Tanner_."

"Hey!" Tanner objected. "I _did_ get that deer, man."

"Uh-huh." Ian rolled his eyes and grabbed the cinnamon rolls. This was a sport for them, he realized. It was nothing like it had been on the farm, it was fun here. He'd been trying to get Rick to start thinking like this for such a long time, it actually made him feel a little validated to know he wasn't alone in his hatred for these... things.

"So, do we give our new friend here an advantage, seeing as how he's never been before?" He asked, a small sarcastic smile on his lips.

"Not necessary." Shane said flatly, eying him.

He held up his hands. "Ok. You got it. Whatever you say."

After breakfast, Shane followed the guys to the control room where they loaded up on ammo and weapons. They had all changed into fatigues and they shrugged on light jackets over their tee shirts. Tanner and Sam pulled masks down over their faces too, even though no one else did.

"You need ammo, man?" Dean asked him and Shane nodded. "What you got? 9MM?" Another nod and Shane caught a couple magazines that Dean tossed at him.

Ian favored nice looking semiautomatic, Tanner and Sam grabbed for Glocks like Shane's, and Dean rested a double barrel over his shoulder. Dean grabbed three walkies and turned them on. He handed one to Ian and one to Shane.

"It's a range of two miles. Keep it close." He said to Shane and clipped one to his jeans. Shane took it and clipped it to his waistband.

"Have fun." Warren called out as they left the control room and made their way to the elevator.

It opened and they got inside, but Dean stopped it from closing again. He leaned out and shouted.

"Trouble! Move your ass!"

"She's coming?" Shane asked, a little surprised.

"You kidding? She lives for this." Ian scoffed lightly, and they saw her round the corner out of the hallway. She was holding an impressive compound hunting bow and had strapped a large bowie knife to her left thigh. Her gun was on her hip, and she was wearing a pair of mirrored sunglasses. Shane felt his mouth go dry when he saw her. She looked stunning, deadly, and dangerous. She got into the elevator and turned her back on all of them.

"You in a hurry to be my slave, Dean?" She asked calmly, eyes straight ahead.

"Huh." He grunted at her and the doors slid shut, the elevator kicked in and the started moving up.

The gate was sliding back for them when they opened the door, and they filed out, splitting into pairs and going in three different directions. Sam and Dean hopped into a black Jeep and headed off across the field to the right.

Trouble had rested her bow on the ground and was tweaking the strings on top silently. She didn't look up when Tanner spoke.

"Who's got the new guy?" Ian asked, sliding on a pair of sunglasses and looking at Shane.

"I'll take him." Trouble answered, raising her bow and testing the tension.

"Nah. Take Tanner." Ian said. "I'll take him.."

"Fine." She said, taking the walkie that he held out to her. She tossed it to Tanner and picked out another Jeep from the cars parked nearby. It didn't have any doors and was painted camouflage She put her bow in the back and she and Tanner hopped in. Shane watched her drive straight back toward the end of the property.

Ian looked amused and grinned. "She's somethin', isn't she?"

Shane did not want to be left with this guy. Something about his cocky grin and arrogant mannerisms made him want to punch him in the face. But he followed Ian to a Toyota Matrix and got into the passenger seat. Ian drove the same way Trouble had gone, cresting the hill and stopping a good three hundred feet from where Trouble had stopped her jeep ahead.

Shane watched her scale a rope ladder to the top of the surrounding concrete wall. She leaned down and caught the bow Tanner tossed her before climbing the rope himself. Ian had made his way to an identical ladder on the wall they had parked next to.

"You comin'?" He called back to Shane and made his way to the top. Shane scaled and and raised himself up on the wall. From that height they could see pretty far. The woods weren't dense, and it was clear they were still in a fairly urban area. Through the trees they could see the roadway and a few buildings were outlined in the distance.

Ian walked down the wall and kept his eyes sharp for any movement. Shane focused on the roadway, and saw a shambling figure emerge from behind a tree to the left. He raised his gun and aimed, firing a clean shot and the body dropped to the ground. He lowered the weapon satisfactorily and saw Ian move up to him.

"Huh." He grunted. "Nice. Hand me that walkie."

Shane pulled it out and handed it to him. "Looks like Shane here has the jump on all of you. He got a walker."

The walkie in his hand immediately crackled to life. "You gotta be kidding me." He heard Dean say and he grinned a little.

"If there are more, they head this way. Good job." Ian said and headed back down the wall a few feet. Sure enough, another figure trailed out from the roadway and toward them. Ian leveled his semi automatic and fired two quick pops. The corpse jerked and dropped to the ground.

"I got one." He said over the walkie, grinning.

"Son of a bitch." Dean grumbled back over the small speaker. "Shut up so I can focus, asshole." Ian laughed a little and tucked the walkie away.

A low groan came from below Shane and he looked off to the right. He saw two walkers twitching and stumbling along the wall toward them. He aimed and fired twice, dropping them both.

Ian frowned when he saw another one stumble out of the trees and fired, hitting it in the head.

Suddenly, the trees were becoming alive with the dead things.

"Shit." Shane said and looked over at Ian. "The herd didn't pass us."

Ian's face fell at the realization. "And we just rang the dinner bell." He said, yanking the walkie free and raising it to his mouth. "Get over here now! Everybody!"

Shane started firing into the crowd forming below him. Every body he dropped seemed to be replaced by two more. Ian get go and pummeled the crowd with bullets. Blood splashed against the wall below, brains and tissue quickly covering the ground.

Trouble squealed to a stop behind them and she and Tanner quickly scaled the wall to join them.

"Motherfu..." Shane heard her curse trail off at the sight and she raised her bow, sending an arrow flying through the eye socket of an obese black man that was shambling to reach her on the wall. Shane was grateful they were completely out of reach, and felt comfortable moving down the wall a little.

Dean and Sam must have pulled up because the next time he looked, he saw them on top of the wall past Trouble and Tanner. The air was loud with the constant and pulsating sound of gunshots and the occasional whoop or shout from Dean or Tanner. Shane felt the sweat start to trickle down the back of his neck and his adrenaline was racing through his body. He squinted and dropped three more in rapid succession. Trouble had inched past Ian and came to stand further down the wall, whipping an arrow out of the sling she had over her shoulder. She squared off and pegged a walker in the forehead. Two more after that. She was good, Shane could see that. She reached back again and found the sling empty. She turned, dropped it to the ground behind them and grabbed the gun on her thigh. Using both hands, she aimed and started firing.

"They're still coming!" Dean shouted from down the wall.

"The herd must have moved up the hill, not across it." Trouble said to Shane. "We have to get them all, they'll rush the gate if we don't."

Shane fired twice more and felt the empty click of the trigger. He reached into his pocket and grabbed a magazine, replacing his quickly. He started firing again.

Luckily, this herd wasn't as big as some he'd seen. The constant surge of bodies started to slow and become a little more manageable. Shane let out a deep breath and focused on the movement, aiming for their dead, milky eyes. They were reaching up, arms swaying in the air like some audience from hell, moving blindly and reaching out for them. All he could see was them falling to the ground in front of his gun.

"I'm out!" He heard Trouble yell, and he reached into his pocket and handed her the other cartridge. She grabbed it and popped it into place and resumed firing. The bodies were starting to pile up precariously, and the walkers behind them began to climb the bloody mound of bodies and brains. They were getting closer to them on the wall.

"Shit!" He heard Sam curse when a walker swiped at him from less than a foot below.

"Move down! Lead 'em away!" Trouble yelled down and Shane headed down the wall about twenty feet. The walkers followed, and he kept pinging them off, suddenly wishing he had Ian's rifle.

Surprisingly, it seemed they had done a pretty decent job of eliminating the bulk of the herd. Shane only had a few walkers on his end now, and the rest had tumbled to the ground. He fired a few more shots, taking them down. The gunshots started to become less frequent and after a few minutes, there was nothing else to shoot. The six of them stood there for a minute, watching for movement, but the trees and the roadway were still. Even the birds had been scared away, and all Shane could hear was the ringing in his ears and his own rushed breath. Sam dropped to the feet, swinging them back across the wall and letting himself drop to the ground. The others saw him and started to slowly follow, landing on the ground lightly. Dean groaned, leaned against the wall, and slowly sank to the ground. Sam had his hands on his knees and he was breathing heavily. Tanner looked a little pale and sweaty and had pulled his face mask off and threw it on the ground. They all sat there in silence for a few minutes and when Ian spoke, it sounded strangely loud.

"I don't suppose anyone kept count."

He was rewarded with withering glances and he shrugged. Trouble dropped to the ground and pulled her knees up, resting her arms on them. Breathing deeply, she pulled a pack of cigarettes from her back pocket and lit one up. Ian walked over to her and took it, putting it to his lips. She stared up at him for a minute, rolled her eyes, and lit another one.

"What if there are more?" Tanner spoke.

Dean shook his head. "If there are, they only heard the shots. If they get here and don't see us they should move on."

"We should keep someone on the monitor to watch the gate, though." Sam looked over him, frowning. Dead nodded and looked off into the distance.

"Yeah."

Trouble stood up, grabbed the bow she had dropped, and headed toward her Jeep. Climbing in, she looked back at them. "Come on, then." She said almost impatiently. "We can take care of the bodies tomorrow."

They all made their way back to the cars and headed back over the hill to the house.

Back in the common room, it was mostly exhausted silence. Beers were cracked open and they sank into the couches and chairs.

"I don't know what you guys seemed so bummed out about." Ian said flatly. "You have any idea how many of those things we just killed? We should be celebrating."

"Hell, you're right." Dean grinned suddenly.

Sam chuckled a little and rolled his head over to look at Tanner. He reached out and punched the guy in the arm. Tanner punched him back and they rolled onto the floor, wrestling and laughing.

Shane saw Trouble watching them with a small smile. She nodded, and stood, making her way down the hallway toward the bedrooms. He stood and followed her, coming to a stop outside the door she had disappeared through. She'd left it open, and he could see that she had flopped back on the bed, her arm thrown over her eyes.

"You ok?" He asked as he leaned in the doorway. She peeked out from under her arm, saw him, and put it back down over her eyes.

"That's the last time I get drunk before target practice." She said flatly. "My head is killing me."

He smiled a little and stepped in. The room was in slight disarray, clothes laying over a chair in the corner and in various places on the floor. She had a few photos of random people in smiling poses taped to a tall mirror against the wall, and her bed was rumpled and unmade. He came to sit on the edge of the bed and looked down at her. She didn't move, and his eyes drifted down her flat stomach to her thighs. The thin pants she wore clung to her tightly and she had rested a slender, long fingered hand on her waist. She brought her arm down from her arms and looked up at him.

"You were really good out there. Calm. Good shot, too."

"You too. That bow can't be as easy as it looks." He said and rubbed the top of his shaved head hard.

"Eh," She shrugged slightly. "I've had a lot of practice." She rolled so she was on her side. She rested her head on her hand and watched him with a calm expression.

The sounds of the guys' horseplay from the common room filtered down the hallway and she smiled a little. "Idiots." She said affectionately. She stood up and walked into the bathroom and out of sight. He heard the shower start and he felt his heart leap in his chest. What the hell was she doing? He thought and his mind drifted back to his own shower earlier that morning. He swallowed and stood, moving forward tentatively, his eyes on the partially closed bathroom door.

"Hey Shane?" She called out and he jumped a little.

"Yeah?" He answered, his voice sounding strange to his own ears.

"I forgot my towel out there. Can you hand it to me?"

Oh God, he thought. He looked around the room and spotted a towel draped over the chair. He grabbed it and approached the door cautiously, wondering what to do exactly.

"Here ya go." He said at the door, pushing it open. He could see her shadow against the curtain, and she stuck her head around the curtain and looked at him. Her wet hair clung to her neck, the beautiful honey color even deeper in the water.

"Thank you." She said and put a glistening arm out to grab it. He stepped across the large bathroom and handed it to her, his eyes on the ground.

"Shane?" He heard her say again and looked up at her from the tops of his eyes. He felt his pants start to tighten in the crotch and shifted uncomfortably. She was looking at him, a puzzled expression on her face. "You ok?"

"I should, uh... you know, let you have some privacy." He said, backing up a little. She disappeared back behind the curtain and he heard let out a soft laugh that danced across his ears like music.

"You _do_ realize I live with four twelve year old boys, right? Privacy.. Hell, I'm lucky if they knock before they barge in here." She laughed again, and he ran a hand over his face, his brown eyes coming back to rest on the shadow she cast on the curtain. Her silhouette moved gracefully, bending and raising back up, hands up and running over her head. There was another of his own shower scenes in his future, he thought as his pants got painfully tighter. He bit the inside of his cheek, hoping the pain would deter his growing arousal. Still, he couldn't look away.

The water turned off, tendrils of steam spinning leisurely in the air above. He felt dazed as he breathed in the scent of vanilla in the air. She pulled back the curtain and he could see that she had wrapped the towel tightly around herself. Her hair was clinging to her bare, damp shoulders and dripped fine trails of water down her body. It barely reached down the tops of her muscular thighs, long tanned legs looking like a dancers'. She barely looked his way as she stepped out onto the plush carpet and went to the mirror to comb out her hair. She spotted him in the mirror and looked back at him strangely.

"You know, you kinda look like you need to sit down." She turned around and looked at him.

"What?" He said. Words made no sense anymore. "Uh, yeah. No, I'm good." He said quickly, backing out of the bathroom. He was breathing heavily when he reached her bed, sitting down quickly on the edge of it and putting his forehead in his hands. He felt hot, sweaty, and excited, and he tried to still his thoughts before she emerged. He licked his lips and rubbed his scalp with his both palms roughly. What he wouldn't give to just walk back in there, rip that towel off and have his way with her right there on the spot. She was so young, and seemed completely oblivious to the guttural primitive reactions she elicited from him.

She walked out of the bathroom and walked across the room to the mirror. She'd slipped into an extremely small pair of blue shorts and a white halter top that tied with a ribbon, leaving her back fully exposed. She had her arms behind her back, tying the ribbon into a bow tightly.

"So, just so you know, what happened out there was not usual. That's the most walkers I've ever seen around here." She glanced at him in the mirror. "I hope it doesn't change your mind about coming here."

"No." He shook his head and picked at the rough skin on his fingers. "It doesn't. 'Sides, I think we took pretty good care of it."

"Yeah, so do I." She said, twisting her wet hair and clipping it up on her head.

"You guys coming out here?" Ian poked his the doorway and Shane looked up at him, slightly startled. "We found a way to determine a winner since our little competition got shot to hell." He saw Ian's sharp blue eyes run up and back down Trouble and that slight cocky grin reappear on his handsome face. He leaned against the door and shoved his hands into his pockets as he watched her. It made Shane suddenly very angry and he wanted to punch him even more than ever. Luckily, it also helped the tightness in Shane's groin ease considerably.

"Oh yeah?" Trouble said, glancing over at him. "And how are we going to do that?"

"Beer pong." Ian said, wiggling his eyebrows at her mischievously.

"Beer and bullets. I swear," She said, walking over to him and squeezing past. "It's all you guys think about."

Ian put on his most injured expression, his blue eyes sparkling mischieviously. "Oh, that's not true. Is it Shane?" He contested as he trailed after her. Shane followed them out the doorway, glaring at Ian's back the whole way down the hall.


	6. A private moment

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

The coffee table was littered with bottle caps and spilled beer, and the sounds of laughter carried down the halls. Tanner and Trouble were knelt on one end of the table, Ian and Dean were on the opposite side, and they were flicking a ping pong ball from one across it repeatedly. Ian and Dean were being crushed.

"Come on!" Dean said plaintively. "This is such crap. We can't pick a winner with this. Shane and Sam aren't even playing."

"Don't look at us, dude." Sam said from his spot on the couch. He and Shane were sitting on the closest couch watching the game. "You know this isn't my game."

"I've had enough anyway." Trouble laughed back at him and stood up. She backed up and fell into an armchair, throwing her bare feet over the arm and leaning back leisurely.

Anna came out of the kitchen and smiled down at them. "Did you want dinner earlier tonight?"

"Oh, no. Don't cook for us, Anna. We'll raid the fridge later." Trouble assured her and the older woman smiled at her.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yup. Don't worry about it, please."

"Ok, well, I'm going to do some reading then." Anna said and wiped her hands on a towel she had hung over her shoulder.

"Sounds good. Thanks, Anna!" Trouble called out as Anna headed toward her bedroom. She looked back at the group of guys laying around the living room and and bit the inside of her cheek.

"We'll head out in the morning and start getting those bodies off the wall." She said, and Tanner looked back at her from his spot on the floor.

"Why? Can't we just let it go?"

"This is Mississippi, Tanner. Do you have any idea what that's going to smell like in August? It's going to be bad enough already." She said and looked down at him. "Besides, you saw, it gives the geeks something to climb. Any higher and they would have reached us."

"What are we going to do with them?" Sam asked, taking a drink from the bottle in his hand.

"We'll burn them." Shane said and everyone looked surprised to hear him speak on his own. "We'll build a fire off the road in front of the trees and burn them."

Trouble and Dean nodded approvingly but Ian twisted the corner of his mouth.

"Won't that draw more?"

"Not if we're fast and quiet." Shane answered. He looked over at Trouble. "You have more of those arrows?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Tomorrow, we move all the bodies to the road. There's a lot and it's gonna take a while. Next day, we build the fire. She stands watch and uses the bow. We only use the guns if we have to. Fast and quiet." He repeated and looked at them.

"I like it." Trouble nodded.

"Yeah. That's it." Dean grinned. "Good idea, man."

Shane felt a sense of pride. On the farm, his ideas had little sway with the others. He was brushed aside, treated like he didn't know what he was talking about. Here, it seemed like they needed somebody to make some decisions. In here, they had Anna and Warren to take care of them. Out there, he was made to do that. It was what he was good at.

"Well, that's settled. You guys getting hungry?" Trouble asked and was met with a round of nods and murmurs. "I'm going to see what we got." She stood up and headed toward the kitchen.

"I'll give you a hand." Shane said and followed. He heard Ian behind him as he left.

"I bet you will." He said under his breath and Shane felt the knot of anger at the man resurface but he didn't turn around.

Trouble was digging through a cabinet when he entered the kitchen, her back to him and he ran his eyes over her smooth back and over her cute, rounded ass. He licked his lips with a dry tongue and came to the counter.

"Want some help?" He asked, and she looked back at him.

"Yeah, look in that freezer and see what we got, huh?" She said, pointing to the large freezer in the wall. He went to it and scanned the contents.

"What are you in the mood for?" He asked, not sure what he was looking for.

"Appetizer type stuff. No forks, no plates kind of thing." She answered, her voice muffled by the cabinet she had her head stuck in.

"Alright." He took a deep breath and dug through some packages. "French fries, cheesesticks... and I have no idea what this is." He said and pulled a box with Chinese written on it.

She poked her head around to look at it. "Oh! Crab wontons. Those are my favorite!" She grinned and abandoned the cabinet. "Get that other stuff too."

He grabbed the bags and boxes and spilled them onto the counter. She reached into the fridge and grabbed a couple bottles of beer, handing one to him. He took it and leaned back on the cabinet, watching her turn on the over and start dumping the frozen food out onto a couple baking trays.

"So, what's the deal with everybody here? Did you know each other before all this?" He took the opportunity to ask.

"Not really." She said, focused on the chore. "I told you Sam and Dean were my cousins. I don't know if anybody mentioned it but they're brothers. They're the only family I've had since my mother died a couple years back, so I've been with them since the beginning." She leaned down and put the trays in the oven and reached back and turned it on.

She lifted herself up to sit on the counter across from Shane and grabbed her bottle, taking a drink before she continued.

"We found Ian when we were making our way out of the city. He can be a pest, but he means well. Tanner was in the national guard. They had come to do roadblocks to crowd management or something but when we it out of control the soldiers left their posts. We found him under a car being swamped with those things. It was crazy. Ian almost bit it on that one."

"What city would that be? Atlanta?" He asked.

She shook her head and gave him a small smile. "Cincinnati."

He let out a low whistle. "Wow. It's amazing you made it all the way here."

He nodded as she spoke, listening quietly. "We got up the hill and the gate was unlocked. Good thing nobody knew about this place because it would have been swamped. Dean got us in here somehow. He's scary good with break in type stuff. Anyway, we were here a little while before Ian and Sam found Anna and Warren down on the highway. Kinda like how they found you."

He didn't want to tell her the vibes Ian gave him, and he didn't pursue the subject.

"Anyway, you have an unfair advantage." She said and he looked up at her questioningly. "You know all about us, and we don't know anything about you. What really happened with your last group?"

I left my best friend in a coma in a hospital and told his wife he was dead so she would forget about him. I slept with her and took his son as my own until he came back and we tried to kill each other. Yeah, I don't I'll be saying that, he thought.

"Uh, well, like I helped them get out of the city, you know?" He said, not really knowing what to tell. "Kept 'em safe as I could but when they didn't want to listen to reason and kept getting into situations they didn't need to deal with. Almost got killed by another group and they brought on of 'em back to our camp. It was gonna lead the others straight to us and I didn't want no part of it. People kept getting killed and they didn't want to hear what I had to say so I had to go. It was getting' ugly."

She nodded slowly, thinking. "Gotcha. You gotta do what you gotta do."

"That's the idea. I headed west and ended up here. I guess that's it." He said and finished his beer.

She hopped down and pulled the food from the oven. Satisfied, she started to put it a few plates and reached into the fridge for the bottle of ketchup.

She smiled and handed him a plate. "Wanna help me carry this out there?"

They others had cued up 'Men In Black' and it was starting as Trouble and Shane put the plates on the coffee table. Hands reached from everywhere to grab the food and Shane found a place on the loveseat. Trouble grabbed a couple wontons and joined him. They ate in silence, all attention focused on the screen and Shane found himself engrossed in the movie. And experience like this that he didn't think he'd ever have again. Trouble curled her ankles up under her after a while and leaned over the arm of the loveseat. The close quarters meant her leg was pressed firmly against his and he could feel the warmth of her skin through the fabric of his pants. He swallowed and felt his heart speed up a little.

The movie was over before he knew it, and he glanced up at the clock on the wall. Quarter to 12. Tanner had dozed off in his chair and Ian and Dean's eyes were barely staying open. The excitement of the day combined with too much beer was taking its toll. Trouble got up quietly and tapped Tanner on the shoulder. He sleepily opened his eyes for a second and she tried to get him to stand up. It was useless, though, and she just grabbed a throw from the back of the couch and threw it over him. Dean, Sam and Ian stumbled down the hallway and disappeared into their respective doors.

Trouble grabbed a couple plates and took them to the kitchen. Shane went after her with what she had left behind.

"I'll clean up tomorrow." She said as he accepted the dishes he handed her and sat them down in the sink. She turned around and crossed her arms over her chest as she looked up at him. "You gonna get some sleep?" She asked.

"Eh." He shrugged. He really didn't feel all that tired.

"Yeah." She said, stretching her arms out above her and pushing her shoulders out. "Alright. Well, try to get some rest. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"Ok. " He said, watching her leave the room and go down the hallway. She didn't go to her room. He peered around and saw her go to the elevator at the end and go down. Strange. He looked back down at the sleeping Tanner and frowned. There was nothing for him here, and he couldn't see going to his room. He would stare at the walls and drive himself crazy. He wasn't sure it was such a good idea, but he started off to the elevator to follow Trouble.

He found her in the training room, and she had turned the music on, a slow trance hip hop beat, and she was doing gymnastic moves in the middle of the room. Barefoot, she gracefully put her hands out in front of her and flipped twice and back to her feet, turning around and spinning back to her original place. She dipped her hips and swayed her arms up before locking and doing a backflip. She moved so elegantly, she had obviously been professionally trained. And she was in her own world. He was able to leave the elevator and stand against the wall, watching her. He felt slightly weird, but he couldn't tear himself away.

The beat changed to another slow hip hop and she moved into the music easily from the previous song. She did two backflips slowly, coming to her feet and bringing her arms down in a wave as her hair fell over her face. She spotted him then, and stopped, looking at him surprised. She grabbed the remote from the bench and turned the music off.

"You ok?" She asked.

"Couldn't sleep." He said. "That was some interesting stuff there." And it was. His pelvis was practically on fire and he held his hands in front of himself.

She smiled, looking back at the floor. "Part of my old life, I guess. Helps work out some of the energy."

"Yeah." He said, taking a deep breath, trying to still his insides. "I usually just drank and shot things."

She laughed lightly. "That's a little too routine around here these days." Sighing, she walked past him. "I guess we should get some rest, Shane."

"I didn't mean to interrupt you." He said, turning with her.

"No, you didn't. I was just messing around." She said and they went into the elevator. "I should probably sleep anyway."

They reached the floor, and this time, she watched him go into his room. "Goodnight."


	7. Dr Anna

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

Shane did not feel like dealing with Ian this morning. His mood was tense, anxious, and nothing the man did did anything to make it better. Ian must have sensed it because he took his usual place by Trouble and proceeded to jab snide comments on Shane's direction every chance he could. Shane tried to ignore it and concentrate on how he was going to keep everyone safe today.

"How many of those arrows you got?" Shane asked Trouble when the group had gathered in the control room to gather weapons. The guys were pulling their camouflage on and masks were moving down over faces. She had pulled on a deep gray tee shirt and hip hugging jeans that dipped low. Again, she had pulled hair off her face in a high ponytail. She had secured a large arrow sling over her shoulder and he glanced back at it, thinking how strange it was that this dancer from the night before was standing there, ready to kill things. He brushed the thought away.

"Two dozen or so." She said, fiddling with the bow. "Plus the ones I retrieve today."

"Good." Shane nodded and started grabbing large blades and knives from the wall and handing them out to the group. They tucked them away in their belts, and when he got to Ian, the man gave him a sly grin that made Shane roll his eyes and set his jaw.

"Alright, when we get up there, we move hard and fast. Stay quiet. Do NOT fire unless you have to. Use the knives instead for close contact. Trouble is gonna cover us while we get the bodies to the road. We clear?" He spoke with a determined authority and they nodded silently, and headed up to the surface. As they passed through the gate and into the bright Mississippi sunshine, he saw Trouble push her sunglasses on and look over at him with a smile that seemed to say 'Here goes nothing...'

They piled into two of the vehicles and went over the hill to stop outside the gate. Sam and Tanner hopped out and scanned the area thoroughly before Sam unlocked it. He swung it back and let the two cars move through.

The small convey moved down the gravel driveway and turned to the right on the roadway ahead. The street lay deserted around them, buildings lay quiet and broken glass littered the sidewalks. When Shane was confident they had moved far enough up the roadway, he directed Dean to pull over and the car behind parked beside them. Trouble tossed pairs of gloves to everyone and they pulled them on.

Trouble took a spot in the middle of the road and threaded an arrow on her bow so it would be ready if she needed it. They would pass by, handing her the old arrows. She kept her eyes focused on the street and buildings, looking for any sign of movement. Shane ducked into the trees with the others on his heels, heading to the outside of the wall. They started working in pairs and began to drag the bodies away and back through the sparse trees toward the roadway. They moved quickly and efficiently, stacking a little more than a dozen before Shane noticed Trouble had taken a hunter's stance, her arrow aimed down the road. He paused, watching as she sent the arrow flying and planted it squarely in the forehead of a walker several hundred feet away. It was alone, but he frowned as he headed back to the wall. He didn't want her out there long.

He heard a grunt as he reached for another body and saw Sam dart past him, his knife firmly in his fist. He turned and saw that a walked had made its way down the wall behind him, and Sam plunged the knife into its skull. It dropped to the ground, and Sam put his foot on its neck, yanking his blade free.

Shane nodded at him and he and Dean resumed dragging a corpse to the asphalt. They dropped it and headed back out. They passed Tanner and Sam who were dragging two smaller bodies each.

It was HOT. The sweat was streaming down all their faces and backs, and soaking the fabric of their shirts, making them stick uncomfortably to their skin. Even Ian had wiped that smug grin he constantly carried off his face and looked completely irritated. They had blood drying on their clothes, pieces of tissue and bone clung to their pants and boots.

Occasionally, the ping of an arrow being let go would break the relative silence. Trouble was doing a good job of covering them. Shane kept his eye on her, watching her as he worked. She was intense, focused on her goal, and it was evident that turned her emotions off when she hunted. The killer persona she put on outside the gate fit her perfectly. No fear, no anger, just a quiet determination that settled over her.

They were nearly done. When they dragged the last few bodies out to the road Shane held up his hand and gestured to the bodies Trouble had dropped while they worked. Shane and Sam went a little ways ahead, Ian and Dean moved in the opposite direction. Trouble started to follow Dean, but she paused when she saw him and Ian freeze and sprint back toward her. Their heavy footfalls on the concrete made Shane turn to look and he felt a jab of alarm when he saw Ian's pale expression. Their eyes were wide and they ran into the trees, Shane and Sam close behind.

"Around the bend." Dean was breathing heavily, speaking in short bursts. "A dozen. Maybe more. Headed this way."

"They don't know we're here. Go up the trees, stay hidden." Shane said quickly and they scattered to the nearest low branches. Sam went up and Trouble handed him her bow before she swung herself up into the leaves. Shane followed Dean and Tanner up another tree close by. From his place on the oak he had scaled he could see Sam and Trouble across from him and peering down at the road through the greenery. Ian was just beyond them, but Shane could only see part of his legs through the foliage.

They remained there in silence for a few minutes, listening intently to the growing sounds of dragging and groaning. The group of walkers wasn't huge, but it was coming from the direction they needed to got back through to get back to the house. They had to wait for it to pass. To fire would only mean they would draw more, and if the horde continued moving this slowly, they'd be stuck in the trees for an eternity. He realized they were going to have to scale the wall somehow, and stay completely hidden as they did so. He quickly scanned the branches above him and saw one that came close enough to the wall for them to jump for it. It looks large enough to accommodate them all and he decided they needed to go for it before the walker reached close enough to see or hear them.

He caught Trouble's attention and held up a finger to his lips. "Climb down and stay low. Get up here." He whispered and she nodded. She turned back and whispered back to Ian in the next tree. A moment later, he saw Ian dart into view on the ground, keeping himself hidden behind the trunks of the trees. He reached the tree Shane was in and scrambled up it just as the first walker stumbled into view on the road behind them. They froze, watching it. It didn't even look over in their direction, and Shane heard Tanner let out a breath.

"Get out on that branch and jump for the wall." He said, pointing to the spot he had picked. "Go and be quiet!"

Tanner nodded and moved carefully over to the branch. He stood up, using smaller branches for leverage, and inched out onto the outstretched branch. Shane watched anxiously as he paused at the end and leapt. He grabbed for traction as he hit the wall, legs dangling underneath him. He pulled himself up and scrambled over the wall, disappearing over it. Ian followed, letting out a grunt when he hit the concrete and dropped out of sight.

Dean and Sam dropped lightly out of their tree and scaled up his, swiftly.

"Go." He hissed and Sam moved out onto the branch. He misjudged the distance a little and went toppling over the wall, letting out a loud grunt when he fell. Trouble winced when she heard it, and Shane tapped her arm, motioning for her to go. She moved to the branch he was perched on and started to pass when a walker jerked into view below. She froze, and he pulled her back toward him putting his back against the trunk. He circled her waist with his arm and held her tightly to his body. She was tense and her breath shallow under his touch. They watched the thing pass below and when Shane was satisfied it was far enough away he lessened his grip and allowed her to move forward out onto the branch. She threw her bow over the wall and jumped, nimbly landing on the narrow surface, but she didn't go over. She got to her feet and looked back at him.

He was halfway out the branch when he heard the cracking. He dove for the wall as the tree gave way, cracking loudly, and the world went into slow motion all around him. He saw Trouble reaching out for him and his hand wrapped around hers. He couldn't get a grip on the wall with his arm and he hit his chest against the corner of the wall painfully. She leaned forward too much when she had reached out for him, and when he lost his grip, he pulled her with him. They fell to the ground together in a heap, and Shane felt the wind violently knocked out of him. Trouble rolled away from him and let out a soft moan of pain.

"Trouble?" Dean's voice came from the other side of the wall sharply. "Shane?"

Shane got to his knees, his chest throbbing painfully. He reached out and grabbed Trouble's arm, pulling her up. The walker that had passed in the minutes before had turned around and was now less than ten feet away. He grabbed the bowie knife from his side and launched forward, burying it in the walkers ear. It let out a groan as it fell and he yanked the knife out of its skull.

Trouble had her back to the wall and looked slightly dazed. Shane went to her, desperately looking for a way up the wall. There were no more branches close by that would remotely support them, and he grabbed his gun and positioned himself in front of her. Luckily, the sun had began to set, sending shadows along the ground and through the tree. The other walkers were still oblivious to their presence and weren't heading their way.

Suddenly a heavy rope ladder came flying over the wall and hit Shane in the shoulder. Looking up, he saw Dean's head come over the edge and looked down at them.

"Come on!" He hissed and Shane grabbed the ladder and pulled it tight in front of Trouble. She looked at it blankly for a moment. Shane saw a fine trickle of blood start to run down her temple and he realized that she must have hit her head when she fell.

"Pull her up!" He called to Dean and picked her up by the waist with his large, muscular hands, pushing her toward Dean's outstretched hands. She reached up and took them, allowing him to raise her to the top of the wall. Shane quickly crawled up the ladder after them and pulled it up behind him swiftly. Dean helped Trouble down into Sam's arms and he and Shane dropped softly to the ground.

"What the hell happened?" Ian blurted when he saw the blood on her cheek.

"Shh. Get back to the house." Shane said, his voice low and commanding. He reached an arm around Trouble's waist to support her and they all moved as fast as they could across the field and toward the house. As they reached the gate it started to slide smoothly open and Shane could hear it clink closed behind them as they hurried to the elevator.

Anna and Warren met them as they emerged, Anna wringing her hands with worry, their eyes wide when they saw the blood streaked faces and clothes they all wore. They must have looked pretty bad, because Warren let out an audible gasp. Shane was so focused he barely noticed the others. He swung Trouble up into his arms, lifting her completely off the floor, and headed back toward her bedroom. He put her down gently on her bed and sat down next to her, smoothing her hair back where it was becoming saturated with blood. Dean and Sam crowded her on the other side, and Ian and Tanner were at the foot, faces pinched and tense.

She opened one eye and looked up at the people above her.

"Oh my God. I'm fine, people." She pushed herself back onto the pillows and raised up a little, waving a hand at them. "See? Fine."

"You're bleeding." Ian stated blankly, his eyes still echoing the anger from earlier.

"It's gonna take more than that to get Trouble, isn't it?" Dean smiled at her and squeezed her knee.

"Get back. Don't crowd the poor thing." Anna said, pushing past Shane to lean over Trouble. She had a damp towel and dabbed at her forehead gently like a mother hen tending her chick. Trouble clenched her teeth as the fabric brushed the small cut and rapidly growing lump there.

"Anna, it's ok. Don't worry. It was just a little bump." She said gently, her hand pushing the towel back.

"You let me worry about that, young lady. Now lay back." Anna ordered and Shane backed up to allow the older woman easier access to Trouble. She frowned at him resentfully as he did so.

"You gonna tell her it was no big deal?" She asked him. "Or are you just gonna abandon me here?"

Shane opened his mouth to speak, but he just closed it again and shook his head helplessly. Truth was, he had been terrified. When he saw her tumble from the wall he had been thrown into tunnel vision. All he could see was how easily she could have been killed, how in a second the walkers could have found them and he couldn't have saved her. How he could have gotten her killed. He wanted to punch something, break something, and he set his jaw firmly, trying to keep calm.

"You boys get on out of here. Let me take care of her." Anna began to shoo them out of the room, despite cries of protest all around, including Trouble's.

"Anna, come on!" Shane heard Trouble say impatiently as the door shut behind them. The hallway seemed almost claustraphobic, none of the men really wanted to leave. Finally, Ian let out an irritated sigh and mumbled something about needing a drink, and Tanner followed him as he headed out into the common area.

Dean let out a long breath and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand tiredly. "Thank you." He said, looking up at Shane after a moment.

"For what?" Shane asked incredulously.

"For saving her life." Sam said.

"I could have gotten her killed." Shane responded, clearly frustrated.

"She thinks she can beat anything. She's too damn stubborn to listen to anybody." Dean growled, throwing a pissed off glance at Trouble's closed door.

It was one of the reasons Shane liked her so much. She was an awful lot like him. He leaned back against the wall and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, well, she'll be ok. It could have been worse." Sam said.

"Yeah? What about next time?" Dean spat and headed off down the hallway. Sam gave Shane a small, grateful smile and went after him. Shane stood there a minute, listening to Anna's muffled coos through the door. Finally, he sighed and walked slowly to his own room.

Letting himself inside, he saw where Anna had washed the clothes he had arrived in and folded them neatly, leaving them on his bed. He walked into the bathroom and stripped his shirt off. He was, like the others, splattered with blood and tissue, sweat and dirt, and in the mirror he could see an angry bruise had already formed across his chest from when he had hit the wall. It was broad and violent looking, a deep purple color, and Shane knew with a painful certainty that he had cracked a few ribs. He flipped the shower on and stripped the rest of his clothes off into a pile on the tiled floor before stepping into the stream of hot water. The bottom of the tub quickly turned red with blood and it swirled around his feet and down the drain. He watched it go, his brain numb and his body aching with the adrenaline that was done coursing through it wildly.

Suddenly, Shane balled up a fist and slammed it into the tile wall beside him. He did it twice more, feeling his knuckles throb. He let the pain focus him. He breathed in deeply and rested his head in his hands against the cool tile. There would be no more excursions out that door for a long time, he said to himself as he leaned there. Even if he had to tie her up, this would not be repeated.

Voices from the kitchen could be heard when Shane re emerged from his bedroom and he followed them. Tanner, Ian, Sam, and Dean sat around the table in the adjoining nook, passing around a large bottle of tequila. Dean was downing a large gulp when Shane entered and Ian stood up fast, shoving his chair backwards. It hit the floor with a loud clatter, and Shane saw Sam jump at the noise.

"What the hell happened out there?" He demanded angrily, his blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "How did she fall? What did you do?"

Shane felt his anger bubble over and he took a couple long strides till he was chest to chest to Ian, his face in his. If this guy wanted a fight, he was going to get it.

"Stop it!" Dean said harshly, trying to get in between them. "Come on! Shane saved her life. She could of gotten down but she didn't."

Shane didn't say anything, his eyes planted angrily on Ian's face. He let Dean push him back a little and Ian growled in disgust and stomped out of the kitchen. Dean looked at Shane apologetically.

"He didn't mean that, man. Don't listen to him." The younger man said, taking his seat again slowly and grabbing for the bottle.

Shane sat down in one of the chairs and took the bottle from him. "He's right." He said flatly after he took a swig.

"Don't ever tell him that, even if you believe it. It makes him an egotistical asshole." Sam said lightly and Shane raised his eyebrow at him.

"He isn't one already?" He asked and they laughed loudly.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Dean grinned. "Shane's on fire here, boys!"

Shane smiled and leaned back in his chair, his arms resting above his head.

"We're not going back out there. You know that, right?" He said, eying them closely.

"No argument here." Dean said, scratching his chin absently. "I've had enough of this crap for a while.

"What about the bodies? Burning them?" Tanner asked tentatively.

"It'll wait." Shane said flatly and the kid shut his mouth, nodding silently.

Dean stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm going to get cleaned up. This shit stinks like hell."

Shane watched them leave the kitchen and he grabbed the bottle again, taking another long drink. He felt the burning in his stomach even out, and he looked up as Anna came into the kitchen. She smiled when she saw him.

"I heard you were quite the hero, young man." She said calmly as she began to make tea. "Trouble said you saved her life. We should be thanking you."

Shane shook his head and stared at the bottle. "I'm no hero, ma'am." He said softly. "How is she?"

"Stubborn as ever." Anna answered. "I keep telling her not to take the chances she does. That something bad is going to happen. But, she doesn't like being told what to do."

"Doesn't seem like it." Shane stood and went closer to the counter she was working at.

"It's a good thing you're here. Maybe you can talk some sense into her." Anna gave a knowing flick of her eyes up at Shane as she handed him a hot tea mug. "Why don't you go take this to her for me, will you?"

"Yes ma'am." He said and left the room quickly.

Shane came to stand in her partly open doorway, cup in hand, and leaned against the frame. She was sitting in the bed, her knees up to her chest, arms wrapped around them. She had kicked her shoes off and changed into a clean white oversized tee shirt, her hair wet from where Anna had washed the blood and dirt out of it.

"Anna sent you some tea." He said, and she turned her face toward him when he spoke.

"Thanks." She gave him a small smile. He brought it to her and she took a small sip, grimaced, and placed it on the side table. He sat down gently on the side of the bed and rested his elbows on his knees. "I'd rather she'd sent vodka."

"How you feel?" He asked, glancing at the small white bandage Anna had put on her temple.

"She gave me some pills so I expect to feel pretty good here in a minute." She said and stretched her long tanned legs out in front of her. "You?"

He shrugged dismissively, and focused on his hands. It didn't seem particularly appropriate to let his eyes run up her legs to the bottom of her tee shirt the way they were aching to do.

"Thanks, Shane. Out there, you know, it got a little fuzzy. You came through." She tapped his side with her leg and gave him a small smile.

"I didn't do anything. I got you in the mess to begin with."

"Bullshit." She said flatly and his eyes met hers. "I got sloppy. I know better."

"You shouldn't have waited for me." He said roughly. "You should have gone over the wall and left me."

"Yeah, because that's exactly what you would have done, right?" She said sarcastically. She had him there. "Please don't tell me you're going to get on me, too. I'm so sick of everybody around acting like I'm gonna break. I've saved their asses more times than I care to count. If you're going to do that, you might as well leave cuz I'm _so_ done."

He set his jaw firmly, pursing his lips. This was pointless. "Thanks." He said simply.

She actually looked shocked. "Well, that's a first." She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. "So," She said, changing the subject quickly. "We have to go back for the cars. We can do it in the morning."

Oh, no. Don't even think about it, he thought. "It can wait." He said firmly and she pressed her full lips together grimly.

"I really don't want-"

"It'll wait." He said again, a little harsher and she held up her hands.

"Fine. Whatever you say." She let it go. She went to get up and her elbow hit him in the chest. He winced reflexively and she paused, looking and looked down at him confused. Before he could react, she reached down and grabbed the bottom of his tee shirt and pulled it up, exposing the vivid bruise across his muscular chest.

"Oh my God..." She breathed and looked up into his face, eyes wide. "Shane! Why didn't you say anything? You're really hurt."

"It's fine, it looks worse than it is." He said but she wasn't listening. She had grabbed the material with both hands and pulled the shirt completely off over his head. He sucked a breath in as her cool fingers traced the mark on his hot skin. She leaned over him and saw another one going from his side around his back. She was inches away, her hair brushing over his face and he breathed her vanilla and citrus scent deeply.

Her eyes found his hand, slightly swollen and red from where he'd punched the shower wall. It still ached, but when she touched it the pain faded. "How did you hurt your hand too?" She asked, confused.

"I don't know." He lied again. How would he explain that, anyway?

"Lay down." She ordered and he looked up at her quizzickely. "You're damn right we're not goin' out tomorrow. You need to rest, Shane. That looks like it hurts like hell." She said and pushed him back gently. His back hit the mattress and he looked up at her, startled.

"Here. You need this more than I do." She said and reached for an ice pack Anna had given her. She placed it gently on his chest and he gasped at the rush of cold. "Sorry." She winced at his reaction.

"It's ok." He said softly, watching her fuss over him. She sat down next to him and reached back to the table for the bottle of pills Anna had left. Shaking a few out in her hand, she put them in his mouth, her fingers brushing his lips with her fingertips. He took a sip of the lukewarm tea she held up to his mouth and swallowed.

"I gave you a big dose. You look like you can handle it. It'll probably knock you out but at least you won't be feeling _that_." She said, her hand drifting back to his chest and staying there. "Get some sleep, Shane." She turned and flicked the lamp next to the bed off.

"Here?" He asked, not believing how fast things were moving around him.

"Hell yes. I'm keepin' an eye on you, brother." She scoffed as she stood again and grabbed his ankles, swinging them so he fully across the bed. He scooted up and laid back against her pillows, watching her with baited breath. She walked across the room and shut the door before she came and sat beside him. Grabbing the tv remote from the table and flicking it on, she settled on the pillows too and looked down at him.

"Get comfy, Officer. You're not going anywhere."


	8. The day off

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

Shane slowly started to feel the effects of the drugs she had given him wash over his body. He felt light and pleasantly comfortable laying there so close to her. She had pulled her legs up and was leaning them against his hip. In his growing haze, he pulled his hand up and rested it on her legs. She looked away from the movie she had turned on, he had little interest to see what it was, and smiled down at him.

She lifted an eyebrow in his direction. "And if you tell any of those idiots out there I was this nice to you, I'll kick your ass. I've got a reputation to uphold here."

He chuckled lightly and blinked at her. "Yes ma'am."

She turned back to her movie and he tried to do the same, but sleep overtook him and he felt his eyes closing on their own.

The room was dark when he opened them again and he didn't remember at first where he was, but when he felt Trouble laying next to him he remembered. She had sank down and fallen asleep on his shoulder with her arm across his chest, a blanket she had pulled over them up under her chin. He moved his arm so he could cuddle her sleeping form more closely. He nuzzled his nose against her hair, breathing her scent in, and she shifted in her sleep, snuggling deeper into his side. Any pain he might have been feeling was forgotten in an instant and he felt the growing bulge in his pants get tight and full against the fabric.

He lay there quietly, listening to her even, deep breathing. Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the feel of her against his still bare chest. She shifted again in her sleep again and the arm across his chest moved lower, coming to rest on the waistband of his pants. Oh God. He'd wanted to be in this position since the moment he'd met her. His body shuddered involuntarily and she opened her big green eyes and looked up at him sleepily.

"You ok?" She mumbled, seeming a little confused. "Oh, I'm sorry." She said, realizing she had been almost laying on top of him. She raised up, pushing the blanket back and rubbing her eyes tiredly. She looked back down at him with heavy lidded eyes. "How do you feel?"

"I'm ok." He looked up at her beautifully sleepy face. She reached over and grabbed the bottle of pills and shook a couple more out.

Handing a couple more to him and popping a couple in her own mouth, she spoke. "You don't want this shit to wear off, trust me." She swallowed with the cup of cold tea and handed the cup to him so he could do the same. She stood up and stretched lazily, her long shirt raising up precariously high and his eyes automatically went to the line of her muscular thighs. She yawned and grabbed a pair of shorts over a chair nearby and pulled them on, looking back at him.

"I'm going to get some coffee. You want?"

"Yeah, sure." He said, scooting to the end of the bed and following her. Anna was already in the kitchen and Shane looked at the clock. Quarter after 6, it read and he stifled a yawn.

"Good morning!" Anna chimed cheerfully, putting a tray of cinnamon rolls into the oven. When she looked up and saw Shane, not only shirtless but clearly injured, her eyes grew wide. Warren was sitting at the table and his mouth dropped open when he saw the deep purple bruises across Shane's torso.

"My goodness." Anna breathed out slowly and put her hands on her hips, observing him for a moment. "Come here, young man. Let's go take care of that. Tsk..." She shook her head and grabbed his arm to pull him out of the kitchen.

"It's really ok." Shane objected and looked up at Trouble, who had grabbed a coffee cup and was filling it. She grinned maliciously at him.

"Hey, don't look at me." She said. "You were absolutely no help to me when she wanted to put me in critical care yesterday."

Anna led him down the hallway and into a large laundry room. She opened a closet door and started pulling out first aid supplies and putting them on the top of a dryer. Grabbing a long brown Ace bandage, she started to wrap it tightly around his chest, and he silently watched her work, knowing she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I know a broken rib when I see one, and you, young man, have a few." She said as she worked.

"Feels like it." He said grimly, wincing at the pressure she was applying.

"Trouble should have told me. I'm going to have to have a word with that girl." She scolded softly.

"Don't blame her, Anna. It was my fault." He said, furrowing his brow down at the old woman.

"Yes, well, you aren't off the hook either." She frowned. She caught sight of his hand as she tucked the edge of the bandage in tightly. "Well, I certainly hope Ian didn't see the other side of this." She said, holding his knuckles up and inspecting them closely.

"What?" Shane asked, startled.

"Young man, I'm not dumb." She looked up and him and crossed her arms over her chest. "I see the looks Ian gives you and I know he can be... a bit abrasive. He's had eyes for Trouble for a long time and I'm afraid he's taking it out on you."

"Well," She stood back and surveyed her work. "I think that's the best we can do for now. Let me get you something for the pain." She said and went back to the closet.

"Trouble gave me some." He said and she paused, nodding. She gave him her blessing to go. That old woman wasn't half bad. He ran into Sam in the hallway and saw his eyes go wide when he saw the bandages around his torso.

"Dude. You look like you got run over by a truck."

"I'll be fine." Shane said, hesitating. He was still shirtless, and his only clean one was in Trouble's room. It was gonna look pretty odd if he went in there to get it, but the rest of the house was starting to stir, and it was now or never. Shane walked past Sam and opened her door, ducking inside quickly. He grabbed the shirt off the floor and pulled it on quickly, and went back into the hallway toward the kitchen. He glanced at Sam, who had just gotten there too, his face serious.

"I didn't see a thing." Sam said flatly. "I don't want any part of that."

"Thanks." Shane mumbled and focused on loading his own plate.

"How's your head?" Dean asked Trouble, eying the purplish bruise that had form around the knot on her temple.

"It's nothing." She said, taking a bite. She looked like she wanted to ask Shane how he felt, but she thought better of it. He noticed, and was immensely grateful.

After breakfast, Sam, Dean, and Ian gathered around the television in the living room and played video games. Trouble had left the table a little early, and Shane went to her room to look for her. He knocked, but when no answer came, he opened the door and peeked his head through. The room was deserted and Shane stood there a moment, thinking. He bit his lip and headed to the control room. Sure enough, she was sitting there at the desk. Her pistol was in pieces in front of her on the desk and she was meticulously cleaning it. He came in and perched on the corner of the desk, watching her work.

"Where'd you learn all this stuff?" He asked.

"My mom. She was a hard ass. Always telling me I needed to be able to take care of myself. Guess she didn't know how right she was." She said, keeping her eyes on her work.

"What happened to her?" He asked, his eyes on her face.

"Cancer." She said simply, clearly not wanting to elaborate and he didn't push.

She glanced up at him and she snapped the magazine back in the gun and sat it down. "How's your chest?"

"Anna bandaged me up real good." He said, looking down at his chest and running a hand over the bandage underneath.

"She's likes doing stuff like that." She said, pushing the chair back and bringing her bare feet up to rest on the edge of the desk. "Sometimes I think she likes it when we get hurt just so she can play doctor."

He grinned. "So, what did you do before this whole thing started? You never said."

"Like it matters anymore." She sighed, rubbing her eyes. She looked back at him and tilted her head. "I was a dancer."

He paused. "Dancer? Like... dancer dancer?"

"Think less tutu, more pole, Officer." She raised her eyebrow. "Are you scandalized? Do you think me cheap?" She asked sarcastically and took the gun back to the wall and hung it up.

"Not really." Shane said simply. "I've not been a choir boy. Not by a long shot."

She looked at him, slightly surprised, but flicked up her eyebrows and gave a slight nod. She seemed distant, colder than before, and he frowned a little.

"You ok?"

"Yeah," She said. "Just a little off today."

"Come on." He said, standing up and jerking his head toward the door. "Get up. Come on."

She looked up at him, confused. "What? Why?"

"Why do you have to be so damn stubborn. Just come on, already." The cop inside him was starting to re emerge.

"Whatever." She said, but got up and followed him.

"Go to your room. I'll be there in a second." He said, placing his hand on the small of her back and pushing her forward. She obliged and headed into the hallway across the room. Shane went to the small fridge in the common room and pulled out a couple beers.

"Shane, hit me." Dean said when he saw him and held up his hands. Shane tossed him a bottle, grabbed a couple more, and closed the fridge. He handed Sam one, and held another out to Ian. When he didn't take it and sent Shane an annoyed glare instead, he just sat it on the table in front of him and left the room.

Trouble had changed into a deep blue v neck sleeveless top, and looked a little irritated when he opened her door and came in. He twisted the caps off and handed her one.

"Isn't it a little early?" She said, watching him take a drink.

"Well," He said, flopping across the foot of her bed and resting his head on his arm. "The way I see it, we got a day off. We should enjoy it."

"I didn't think the apocalypse came with sick time. I'll have to keep that in mind." She said, taking a drink.

"Oh yeah." He nodded seriously. "Free healthcare, too. But the schools are shit, so I guess you're out of luck if you were plannin' on going to college."

She laughed, rolling her eyes at him. "Was that a joke? If there were still newspapers, they'd be running a headline right now."

"I have my moments."

She grinned and brushed her hair back, wincing as her hand brushed the bruise there. Shane sat up and grabbed the bottle of pills on the bedside table and handed her a couple. She gave him a small smile and swallowed them with her beer. He took a couple himself. His ribs were aching painfully, making it a little difficult to breathe.

"So, what's plan for today then? I haven't had a 'day off' yet. I have no idea what to do with that." She said, crossing her legs underneath her.

"Anythin' you want. Relax, sleep if you wanna." He said with a shrug. "Point is, when was the last time you had fun?"

She looked up at the ceiling. "I have fun. I shoot things. I drink. I torture the hell out of Dean. I know fun. And right now, I'm going to have fun while I go get us a couple more of these." She drained her bottle and tossed it into the can as she headed out the door.

He watched her go and chuckled a little. He closed his eyes and listened to the faint cries of video gamers at work down the hall, breathing as deeply as he could. The pills were working fast and the pain was beginning to ebb. That light feeling was coming back, and he let it flow over him. He realized he had been spending the majority of his time since he had come here in a state of partial or full inebriation, and he loved the hedonistic feeling of it. He was tired of things always having to be so hard, every moment having to be so difficult to get through. Here, though, it wasn't like that. It was almost carefree in comparison.

He heard Trouble laugh loudly as she came back down the hall and Shane was surprised to see Dean come back in.

"What you two up to?" He asked, flopping on the bed. Trouble shoved him out of her spot and sat down, handing a beer to Shane. She clicked the remote and a deep guitar riff to Crazy Bitch filled the room. She leaned back and grabbed a pack of cigarettes out of the nightstand drawer, lighting it and flicking the match into a nearby ash tray.

"Anna's gonna kill you if she sees that." Dean said, resting on his elbow and watching her.

She looked at him out the corner of her eye, took a deep inhale and blew the smoke in his direction before she fluttered her eyes and smiled innocently. Shane grinned and looked over at Dean.

"Doesn't look much worried, Dean." He said.

"I can see that. You high?" He asked, grinning.

"A little. And I intend to keep it up. It's my day off." She said, putting the cigarette back to her lips.

"Whatever you say." Dean grinned and they looked up as Sam stuck his head in the door.

"Here they are." He called back and came in, crashing into a chair by the door. Ian appeared a moment later and leaned against the frame sullenly. "We wondered where everybody ran off to." Sam said.

"She's toasted, man. Look at her." Dean laughed.

"Then she's got the right idea." Ian said, the cocky grin returning to his face. He sauntered across the room and took the cigarette from its place between her lips and took a long drag of it. She blew her smoke out in his face and he grinned. "Light 'em up boys." He said, pulling a large bottle of tequila from behind his back.

"So, then this sonofabitch turns around and says to me and Rick, 'What the hell do you mean by 'drunk driving'? The horse ain't drunk! I am."

Peels of laughter came from the group sitting around Shane. He had been telling stories about his cop days, and they couldn't get enough. Even Ian seemed more at ease. Of course, they had finished the first bottle and had started on a second, so that probably had something to do with it. Trouble was laying on her stomach with her head on her hands facing him. Everyone else was on the floor in a small circle. The bottle was moving steadily round the circle, eyes were blurry and speech had long ago begun to slur. Ian grabbed for her pack of cigarettes and lit one. She reached down smoothly and plucked it from his fingers with a 'you deserved that' look. He grinned and his head fell back against the bed.

"Oh my God," Trouble said. "Who knew Mayberry was such a hotbed of criminal activity?"

He shrugged, grinning. Dean groaned and clumsily started to get to his feet. "I'm seein' a lot more people here than I did before. I'm gonna go pass out now, thank you."

Sam grinned and got up to help Dean through best he could. They bumped the wall and the door before they finally made it into the hallway, Dean laughing loudly the whole way. Trouble stretched lazily and sat up. Shane had been watching her the whole night, the liquor coursing through his bloodstream and making him feel a little insane with lust every time she her shirt rode up a little or the flick of her hair. Ian yawned and blinked his eyes slowly, trying to keep the room in focus. Slowly, he got to his knees and planted his face in her comforter with a groan.

"Cm'on, brother." She said, getting up and putting her hands under his arms, trying to pull him up. "Time for bed." She was, by no means, perfectly steady on her feet but she was better than him.

"I'm fine." He grumbled, but slowly got up. She pushed his door open and led him inside, walking over to the bed and letting him sit down on the edge of it. His eyes were red and unfocused, and his fingers clumsy as they tried to undo the buttons on his shirt. She helped him and pushed it off his shoulders, dropping it on the floor.

"Stay w' me, Trouble." He put a hand around her wrist and tried to pull her forward toward him. She resisted, trying to untangle his fingers from her wrist, gently.

"Yeah, see?" She said, sitting down next to him. "Right here. Not goin' anywhere."

He was drifting off. He was quiet, breathing even and shallowly, his eyes closed. She started to stand, was detaching herself from his grip, when she felt his hand tighten. He closed his eyes again and let go of her. He turned over and buried his face in his pillow. She left the room, shutting the door silently on her way out, before returning to her own room.

Shane was laying across the foot of her bed with the bottle resting on his stomach, watching for her to come back. She seemed pleased he hadn't left yet when she came into the room, and she shut the door quietly behind her. He held out the bottle and she accepted it, taking a last drink and sitting it on the nightstand. Flopping across the bed on her stomach, she let out a deep breath and threw a pillow over her face.

"God, I'm going to feel this tomorrow." She groaned into the fabric.

"Worth it." Shane slurred a little, and raised up to rest his on his elbow, facing her. After a moment, she pulled the pillow away and raised her head and looked at him blurrily.

"How are you not smashed, dude?" She asked disbelievingly. "You drank way more than them."

"Years of experience." He said, reaching out and running a hand through her long blond hair. If he had been sober, he knew he might have resisted, but that was out the window now. She smiled a little and laid her head back down and closing her eyes. He played with her hair for a few minutes, loving the silkiness of it, the way it cascaded through his fingers.

She opened her eyes and quietly looked at him. He laid his head down so he was almost nose to nose with her, looking into her face. He drank ever detail in like he'd never seen her before. The way her green eyes shown with youth and strength. The way her nose was delicate and slightly upturned. Her full lips slightly parted and her breathing deep and even, As he stared there at her, still running his fingers through her hair, he realized that what he had had with Lori hadn't been love. Lori had been right about that. What he felt then was built out of anger and guilt, disappointment and resentment. This was right in a way that had never been.

He put his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up to him, brushed his lips over hers and instantly his body came alive. He kissed her gently at first, and when he saw no doubt in her eyes he began to kiss more forcefully. She turned over and put her hand on his cheek, running her thumb along the stubble on his jaw, and he pressed her body into the bed with his own. Her lips parted further for him and he began to explore her mouth with an eager tongue. She kept pace with his kisses, their lips fighting for dominance, and when she ran her tongue along his lower lip, he groaned softly. He ran his hand down her body, coming to rest on her ass, squeezing and cupping it in his large hands.

Her fingers reached down and found the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head in one smooth motion. She danced her fingertips along the rippled muscles in his back, scratching lightly and her light touch was sending his senses reeling even further. His body was screaming with desire, and his eyes grew almost black and heavy lidded. He moved down her neck, licking and nipping the sensitive skin there and she sighed, throwing her head back and arching against him. He reached down and yanked her shirt over her head before running his hands up her body and caressing her full and firm breasts. Her breath caught sharply in her throat under his touch, and he reached up and pulled the straps off her shoulders. She sat up enough for him to reach around and unhook her bra, pulling it off and throwing it away before taking one into his mouth, sucking gently. Her fingers were holding the back of his neck firmly as if she expected him to pull away. He moved lower, his hands massaging the soft skin on her waist, running over the rough denim wrapped thighs, his tongue tracing circles on her hot skin. She was gasping softly, letting out small sighs as he kissed and nipped at her, her arms snaked up above her head. He reached the top of her jeans and unbuttoned them, almost ripping them away from her body. When he stood and pulled them off, she sat up quickly and placed her mouth on the skin above his pants, her hands fumbling to unbutton them. His mouth dropped open at the sensation and he stared down at her in wonder and lust. He quickly helped her and soon his own clothes joined hers in a pile on the floor. She looked up at him for a second, her eyes wide with need and desire when she saw the size of him. He was more than ready, he could have been made of stone.

She started to kiss lower and he felt an electric shock run through his body, his brain seemed starved of oxygen. God, he wanted to let her do it. Let her take him into her mouth and run that amazing tongue up and down every inch of his dick. But he knew if he let her do that he would lose any control he had left and come immediately. He reached down and pulled her back up and covered her mouth with his, pushing her back down onto the bed and getting on top of her. She raised her knees resting them against his hips and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, her fingers exploring the roughness of his shaved head and neck. Never breaking contact with her lips, he reached down in between her legs and ran a finger against her heat. She was so wet already he thought he might go over the edge just then. She gasped into his mouth and her eyes flew open as he pushed a finger deep inside of her, pumping it gently. Her hips thrust forward against his hand, aching to take him deeper.

He couldn't take it anymore. He felt insane, crazed. Her grabbed her arms and pinned them above her head and positioning himself between her legs at her entrance. She was staring him in the eyes, her mouth parted and her breath coming in sharp and ragged spurts. He stayed that way for minute, unmoving, and she gave him a pleading look, thrusting her lips forward, desperate to have him inside her. He was floored by her need, her desire matching his. He groaned loudly and buried himself fully into her. She cried out in an erotic mix of pain and pleasure, and she was so unbelievably wet and tight around him he could almost see his climax start to wash over him. Ohhhh, not yet, not yet... He froze, waiting for the feeling to ebb again if it could, and allowing her to become adjusted with his size. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and buried her face in his chest, digging her nails into his shoulders. He held her head in his hands, rubbing her cheek gently.

"Shhh..." He murmured against her ear and took her earlobe inbetween his teeth. "You'll get used to me, baby. Relax. Shhhh..."

She looked up into his eyes and wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her hips against him again, and he began to move slowly. His eyes rolled back in his head and he arched his back, resting his weight on his arms as he moved. She moaned, throwing her head back against the blanket.

"Shane..." When she moaned his name a low, gutteral noise came from deep within his chest. It was the most sensual and erotic thing he had ever heard. "Oh God. Deeper Shane." She was practically begging him, and he pushed fast and hard, tightening his grip on her wrists and keeping them pinned tightly. She tightened around him and bit her lip to keep from screaming as she came just then, calling his name over and over again. He closed his eyes and felt himself follow her over the edge. Stars burst against the back of his eyelids as he filled her, shock waves hitting him blindly and continuing until he thought he was going to scream. He grabbed her face with one hand and shoved his nose painfully into her cheek, his eyes wide and blinking, and he grunted as each wave hit him, still giving her little thrusts.

She gasped and came again, crying out and going rigid, feeling him pump into her, making her so hot and full. He lay gasping there, his face still pressed against her cheek. He felt her relax below him and the world slowly came into focus again. He let her wrists go and rested them on each side of her head, staying inside her as long as he could. She opened her eyes and he searched them deeply, neither of them wanted this moment to pass. He cupped her cheek and gave her small, sweet kisses, his eyes never leaving hers.

He licked his lips. "My God, baby..." He murmured, completely awed by her. His heart felt painful in his chest, like it wanted to burst out. He had never felt anything like that before.

She ran her hand over his cheek, resting it there and gliding the tip of her thumb across his swollen lower lip. He kissed it lightly, taking her hand in his and holding it against his chest. He unsheathed himself from her, groaning again at the sudden lack of contact, and rolled to rest at her side. He brought her with him, wrapping his free arm around her and buried his face into her hair.

He knew where he wanted to be from now on. Just like this, with her.


	9. They went up, dear

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

She was gone when he woke up. He laid there a minute, his face in her pillow, breathing in her scent. He breathed in deeply and got up, recovering his clothes from various places on the floor and pulled them on. He winced when he stretched too far. His already bruised and broken ribs made even more painful by last night's excursions. He looked around, and saw the pills on her nightstand. He grabbed a couple and swallowed them dry. They scratched against his throat painfully as they went down.

The living room was deserted, but he heard movement in the kitchen and went to the doorway. Anna was putting clean dishes away and smiled warmly when she saw him. He nodded to her and went to the coffee, grabbing a nearby mug and filling it.

"Good morning sleepyhead." She chimed cheerfully.

"Where is everybody?" He asked, taking a drink and leaning against the counter.

"The alarm went off a little while ago. Didn't you hear it?" She answered.

"No." He shook his head. "Where are they?"

"They went up, dear."

He was out the door before she finished.

The concrete foyer lay deserted when the elevator doors opened and he groaned in frustration and anger. She didn't go out there without him. She couldn't have. God, please tell me she didn't. He was almost to the door when a voice sounded from above.

"Up here, Shane." Trouble was leaning over the railing, looking down at him, and he felt his heart leap. Oh, thank God. He leaned down and put his hands on his knees, breathing deeply for a moment. Then he realized something was off and he looked back up at her. Any remnant of his lover from last night was gone, and she looked like a killer. She was dressed like she was when he had first seen her, black cutoff shirt tied up at her waist and those tight, low jeans she favored. Hair back, sunglasses on, combat boots. Her sidearm was ready at her hip and she was holding a large, impressive looking semiautomatic machine gun across her chest.

"Come on, get up here." She said sharply and he jogged up the stairs. When he reached her she handed him a high power rifle she had put on the ground by her feet. "I'm glad you're here. It'll be better if there are two of us."

"What's happening?" He asked, taking the gun from her.

"Survivors. A lot of 'em, looks like. They found the front gate, and one of 'em got over the fence. Triggered the alarm." She rechecked her weapon for the dozenth time as she spoke. She was completely focused, tense in her movements.

"Are we bringing them in?" Shane asked, checking his own weapon.

"Not sure yet. Sam, Dean, and Ian are out there now checking on it. If they don't seem like a threat, probably." She answered, and unhooked her walkie from her jeans. "What's the word out there, guys? Come back." She pressed the button and spoke into the little speaker.

"Uh, base, we got women and children out here. Some couple guys too." Came Sam's response crackling from the walkie.

"Anything follow 'em?" She asked.

"Doesn't look like it. We're bringing it in, base."

"Come on, then." She said and put the walkie down. She stood, feet apart and raised her weapon, aiming it at the gate, her finger on the trigger. Shane walked a few feet away from her and shouldered his rifle, his eye at the scope.

"Here we go." She said flatly, and they heard the gate slid back outside the front door. A second later, the door came open and the foyer was filled with bright sunlight. Shane squinted as a form stepped through and came to stand in the middle of the foyer looking up at them. Shane's weapon faultered, his eyes growing wide when he realized what he was seeing.

Shane always thought that the next time he saw them, saw _him_, he'd put a bullet between his eyes. But standing there, he didn't feel any anger. Any resentments or hatred, at all. It just was.

"Rick." It was a statement more than anything. Shane lowered his rifle, and watched as Lori followed, then Carl, T-Dog, Carol, Andrea and Daryl, Glenn and Maggie, even Hershel himself.

"Oh, my God." Lori's mouth dropped open. The group was obviously stunned to see him

Trouble's gun never wavered from the crowd. "You know these people, Shane?" Her voice was even and mistrusting.

"Yeah. They're good. Lower your weapons!" He said loudly. Sam, Dean, Tanner and Ian had taken up a flanking position on either side of the group, rifles ready to fire on Daryl, who was standing in a defensive position with his crossbow as soon as he had seen the guns.

"I'll drop it when he does." She answered.

Shane jogged down the stairs, pointing at Daryl as he did so. "Take it down, Daryl. Now."

Daryl narrowed his eyes but released the arrow from its place and lowered the bow. Rick stepped forward and put a hand on Shane's shoulder, his eyes wide with shock.

"I can't believe it. Where did you go?" Rick asked, his eyes never leaving Shane's face.

"Doesn't matter." Shane grabbed Rick hand and squeezed it in the brotherly way he used to. Before all hell broke loose. He laughed when Carl darted around his dad and threw his arms around Shane's waist, hugging him tightly, tears running down his face. Shane knelt down and grabbed the back of his neck, affectionately bumping heads with the boy. "Hey little man. It's good to see ya."

"I thought you were dead." Carl said, sniffing and running his his hand across his cheek.

"You kiddin' me? 'Course not, man. Come on now." Shane grinned at him.

"What is this place?" Carol asked, looking up fearfully at Trouble, then at Dean. They had shouldered their weapons and were watching the exchange causiously. "Shane?"

"It's ok." Shane said, standing. "It's safe here."

Trouble moved down the stairs about halfway. "Can I talk to you for a minute, Shane?" It wasn't a question.

"Please don't tell me we're bringing _all_ these people in here." She said low enough to not be heard by the others when he reached her. He put his head close to hers and looked her in the eye.

"They're not a threat. They need to be safe, same as us." He said firmly, tightening his lips.

She looked back at the group, running here eyes over them and coming to rest on Daryl. They were all staring back at her, watching the silent exchange between her and Shane anxiously. She looked back at Shane.

"This is the group you were with before us." She said and he nodded. "You left 'em Shane. Probably for a good reason. Why should we let them in here now?"

"I was wrong. I realized it even last night. I'm glad I did it because I found this place, but I wasn't right in what I did." He said, his eyes heavy and resigned. She shook her head and adjusted the rifle on her shoulder.

"The supplies. I know it looks like we have everything but with all these people we're gonna run out."

"Please." Rick stepped forward, his face drawn and his tone a pleading one. "If you send us back out there, we're gonna die. Those things are everywhere out there. I've got my son here, my wife is pregnant."

"I thought you said they weren't followed." She said sharply, her eyes darting to Dean, who just shook his head.

"We'll figure it out." Shane said evenly.

She looked at Rick, her face a blank slate. Finally, she sucked in a breath and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm doing this." She said resentfully. Starting down the stairs, she raised her voice. "You heard the man. Bring 'em down."

She pushed the button on the elevator and looked back them when they hesitated to follow. "You comin'?"

"We had a bad experience with being underground." Rick said apologetically, stepping forward and holding out his arm to the group to get them moving. "Come on, it's ok. Get in." They did as he said crowded into the elevator, and Shane could feel Lori's eyes boring into his back. She had glued her eyes on him since the moment she saw him on that balcony, her face filled with the usual misplaced distrust and astonishment that had become to accustomed to. That wasn't anything he wanted to deal with, and he intended to put it off as long as he could.

"Are they soldiers, Mom?" Carl asked quietly, looking up at Lori. Dean let out a short chuckle, amused.

"Shh, honey." She whispered to him, patting his shoulder.

They gazed out in wonder as they emerged into the house. Eyes scanning every inch of the room, mouths hanging open. Anna stepped out of the hallway and started to welcome them in, speaking gently to them to ease their obvious nerves. Trouble, Sam, Ian and Dean stayed by the elevator and spoke quietly.

"I can't believe this. This is stupid!" Ian was pissed and didn't care who knew it. He got up right next to Trouble's ear. "Come on, please tell me you feel good about this." She frowned, unsure of how to answer that. She looked into his blue eyes, then around at her cousins. What if she just screwed them all?

"They're here now, ok?" She said softly and looked over at Shane, who was speaking in low tones with Rick and an old man. Warren had come out of the control room and his face was positively terrified at the amount of new people. Hershel spotted him and went to shake his hand in a polite greeting as older people do with each other.

"We'll keep an eye on them, Ian. Stay armed. One wrong move and they're out on their asses, ok?" She said, looking back at Ian. He set his jaw and glared at the new arrivals.

"Fine." He said, marching away toward the control room. The others drifted away, and she sighed, fighting an increasingly painful headache. Rick noticed her alone and stepped over.

"Thank you again." He said, looking at her in the eye and sticking his hand out. "I'm Rick Grimes."

"Trouble." She said, ignoring his hand.

"Good to meet ya, Trouble. That's my wife Lori and my son Carl over there. You're saving their lives."

"Look, Shane says you're good, that's good enough for me. But some of the others don't feel that way. Stay low, watch the supplies, don't interrupt us. We got a good thing going here, and I'm not letting anybody screw that up, got it?" She spoke low and firmly.

"Yes, yes, absolutely." He said, pulling his hand back. She looked over to the boy who was still gazing up at Shane as he talked to a couple people in the group. Her voice softened a little when she spoke again.

"Welcome to the Hotel California. I'm glad you made it."


	10. Reevaluation of the past

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

The group got settled in fairly quickly. Shane gave them a tour of the facilities, smiling happily at the gasps of delight and squeals of excitement the group emitted as they explored the roomy and comfortable setting. Carol was over the moon when she saw the washing machine. The showers were another high point, and they quickly claimed bedrooms on the lower floor where Anna and Hershel stayed.

Shane finished and left the group to their respective ends. Most of them had headed straight for the showers. He was headed back to the elevator and Rick jogged up after him, falling into step beside him.

"This is some place, man." He said, looking over at Shane.

"Yeah, ain't it?" Shane grinned, hitting the button on the elevator. They got in and the doors slid shut behind them.

"How'd you find this place?" Rick asked.

"Same way you did. Brought me in. Been here ever since." They exited and headed toward the common room.

"Are we going to talk about why you left?" Rick put his hand on Shane's shoulder, stopping him.

"No." Shane put his hands on his lips and let out a breath. "Look, Rick, I'm sorry I left like that. I shouldn't a done it that like that. Mistakes were made but its over now. And, you know, maybe me bringin' ya'll in here is way to try and make up for it, ok?"

Rick pinched his handsome features and watched Shane closely, trying to read his face. He nodded slowly, dropping his hand to his side. "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good."

"Alright, well then," Shane clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "Come on, I wanna show you something."

Trouble was leaning back in the chair, her feet on the desk, when Shane and Rick walked into the control room. She glanced at them but turned back to the monitors disinterestedly.

"Oh man." Rick breathed when he saw the wall of guns and ammo and body gear. He moved to the monitors and looked intently at them, awestruck with the magnitude of it all. "You got this place completely covered."

Trouble rolled her eyes. No shit, Sherlock. Shane leaned against the desk and crossed his arms in front of him, watching Rick take it all in.

"Why'd you head out this way, man? Thought you were headed south." He asked.

"We were." Rick squinted into a monitor that showed the front gate. He looked back at Shane after a moment. "Got cut off by a herd and had to change course. Saw the gate from the street when we got blocked by that pile of walkers up there on the road."

"Where?" Trouble whipped her head over and stared at Rick.

"'Bout a day south 'a here and movin' up." He answered and she slammed her hand on the desk and stood up.

"Goddamn it." She cursed and headed out the door to look for the others. Shane and Rick followed her.

She found Sam and Dean in the common room talking with Hershel, Warren, Anna, Lori, and Carl. When they saw her expression they excused themselves quickly and met her in the corner. They formed a small circle and spoke in hushed tones.

"What's wrong?" Dean reluctantly asked like he didn't really want to know.

"Herd. It's not far, either, and headed this way according to him." She jabbed a thumb at Rick, and he and Shane joined the conversation.

"Hell." Sam said, letting out a deep breath.

"We don't go up. We stay down here, don't draw attention to ourselves, herd'll pass right through." Shane said, hands in hips and leaning in.

"Because that worked so well last time?" Sam looked at him incredulously.

"How big is it?" Dean asked, looking at Rick.

"Big as I ever seen one." He frowned. "Hundreds of 'em."

Trouble sighed and rubbed her forehead tiredly. "Sam's right, they didn't last time. I don't see 'em heading back into the city. They already know there's no food there. The likelihood is that they're going to stop and that wall might not be able to keep 'em out."

"They still can't get into the house, right?" Rick asked. "You got a solid gate, a steel door, and a elevator between us and them even if they do get over that wall."

"I'd rather not test it, if that's ok with you." She snapped her eyes up and him.

"Ok, so...what's the plan?" Sam asked, looking around the group. They wore worn, tired, anxious expressions, ones that obviously wondered if this was ever going to be safe enough.

"Landmines." Trouble's head shot up suddenly.

"What?" Shane asked, eyebrows raised.

"The guy that built this place was a paranoid freak." She explained quickly, her eyes bright with her idea. "He was convinced everybody was out to get him. Concrete walls a foot thick. One entrance with two doors, gates securing everything."

"So?" Shane said, scanning her face with his intense eyes.

Dean grinned widely. "Holy shit, she's a genius. I said, Goddamn!" He clapped his hands together and let out a loud laugh, drawing all the attention from the small group nearby right to them. Lori stood up and looked at Rick worriedly. He smiled at her reassuringly and turned back to Trouble.

Dean grimaced. "Sorry. Go on."

"How about one'a you let me in on what the hell you're talking about." Shane said flatly.

"There are landmines stored in a small concrete bunker in the left field behind the house. Hundreds of them, maybe more." She spoke fast. "We cover the entire road them 'em, so have have to walk across. We do it right, and it'll take most of 'em out way before they ever get here, and we can take care of any stragglers later."

"What about living people? What if they try to cross?" Rick asked, his brows knitted together.

"We put up signs. They'll know not to try."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "That might work."

"Hell yeah, it might work. Freakin' genius, this chick." Dean looked almost giddy and socked her lightly on the arm, grinning. She chuckled and looked up at Shane.

"What do you think?" She held her breath and waited for him to say something.

He bit his lip absently as the thought it over. "Yeah. I think it's good. Damn good."

They met eyes, and Shane winked at her proudly. Rick saw it and narrowed his eyes. Shane had seemed different, lighter almost, since moment Rick had seen him, and he was starting to think he knew why.

They made plans to meet again after dinner and Trouble retreated to her room. Dean and Sam went to let Ian and Tanner in on what was going on. T-Dog and Carol had come to the common room, and Lori had long ago dragged Rick away to find out what was going on. Shane went to Trouble's room, knocking lightly before she opened the door.

She was sitting on the floor surrounded by aerial maps of the area, and she was inspecting them closely, but glanced up briefly as he entered.

"Hey." She said. "Come here and look at this, Shane." She picked a map and held it out for him to see. He sat down next to her and followed her fingertip as it traced a winding road. "That's the road in front of the gate. See here, where it is narrowest. A mile or so south from the house. There's a cliff on one side and a 150 foot drop on the other. That's where we go."

"Alright." He nodded, watching her closely. She was in full battle mode, but there was something else off and he couldn't help but think she was desperately avoiding the subject of last night's encounter. He grabbed her hand and she looked down at it in surprise.

"What?" She asked, clearly irritated at being distracted from her train of thought.

Well, this is new, he thought silently. Here he was, big ol ladykiller Shane, and he was the one having the morning after jitters.

"You ok?" He asked, unsure of how to broach the topic.

"Yeah, why?" She said distantly, her eyes back on the maps in front of her.

"Look at me, then." He challenged her and she sighed, resting back on her heels and looking at him wearily.

"Shane, you're _fine_." She said calmly. "Please don't tell me you have to talk me down off some ledge here because of last night. I'm glad we did it. It was fun."

"Fun." He said slowly, frowning. That's all it was? Fun? He rubbed his head with his palm as hard as he could, shifting his body and looking at her square in the eye.

"All I'm saying is that you don't owe me anything. Don't worry about it."

He tilted his face at her disbelievingly. "Well, I intend to worry about it. I've never... It's never been like that before." His voice got a little deeper as his frustration threatened to boil over. The most amazing night of his life and here she was, so happy to just let it go. "Oh, goddamn it." He blurted and grabbed her, yanking her to him and covering her mouth with his own. She froze for a moment, but then he felt her arms go up around his neck and her lips parted. He searched her mouth feverishly with his tongue, as he pulled her up onto his lap and his fingers tangled in her hair.

She kissed him as deeply, and when they broke the kiss, she looked up at him intently.

"So, what you're saying then is that you'd like to see where this goes." She said, arching an eyebrow at him and he let out an amused burst of laughter.

"Somethin' like that." He said, looking down into her eyes, grinning affectionately.

"Good." She said, giving him a devilish smile. "'Cuz I _really_ want to do that again."

"Well let's see what we can about that, huh?" He said and reached for her. She was to the ground when a knock startled them both and she shot up.

"Ughh..." She groaned quietly and smoothed her hair as she moved back to kneel over the maps. "Yeah?" She called out and the door opened. Dean poked his head in and spotted the photographs on the floor.

"Oh, sweet." He said. "You got 'em out already." He squatted, moving them around and looking at them intently. "You thinking the gap, too?" He asked, finding the place she had pointed out to Shane.

"Yeah." She said, her head almost touching his as they poured over the maps. "Oh, uh, Anna's got dinner ready."

"Ok." She said. "I'll be there in a minute."

Dean stood and left the room, and she gathered her papers together. Shane walked over to her and gave her a peck on the lips. She smiled up at him and they headed to the kitchen.

Anna had pulled out a couple bottles of wine in honor of their new arrivals, and she had managed to squeeze a few more dishes onto the table. She also had apparently given seating arrangements because Trouble's spot next to Ian was left empty for her, as was Shane's across the table. Everyone was already there, chattering away easily except for Ian, who was giving Trouble a harsh look as she sat down.

"What are you? Wile E. Coyote?" He leaned toward her and spoke softly. "Landmines?"

"Later, Ian." She said quietly, taking a bite of the macaroni Anna had made and keeping her eyes on her plate.

"Yes, because I'm sure that I will be able to talk you out of it." He said sarcastically and turned slightly away from her. Everyone noticed the tense exchange and things had fallen quiet.

Rick broke the uncomfortable silence. "How long have you been here, Trouble? Your group, I mean."

"Almost six months." She said, looking over at him. "Give or take."

"Well, I have to say, this place is amazing." Carol said, smiling. "We're lucky to have found you. I think I can actually sleep tonight!" She laughed lightly, looking around the table.

"I second that." T-Dog said, raising his glass. "Damn lucky."

Rick grabbed a second helping of the mashed potatoes. "This is delicious Anna." He said, scooping some onto his plate, and she beamed at him.

"Thank you dear. I do try."

"I agree." Hershel spoke up from the end of the table. "I don't know when I've eaten better."

"Do you have any stuff?" Sam asked, taking a drink of his wine. "You didn't bring much in."

"The cars outside." Rick answered, frowning. "We need to go back up and get it."

Trouble shot a look at Shane over her glass, like, 'see? Already annoying me.' But she cleared her throat and didn't make a fuss. Shane had a twinkle in his eye and bit his lip when their eyes met, and when Trouble looked back down the table, she found Lori's eyes firmly attached to Shane, a baffled look across her face. Weird, she thought.

"Let's go then." Trouble said, pecking Anna on the cheek as she passed her to put her plate in the sink. "Before it gets any later."

Shane stood up. "T, Rick? You know what to get?" They nodded and he gestured for them to follow Trouble.

"I'll go too." Dean wiped his mouth and stood up to follow them. "Storm looked like it was rollin' in earlier and I wanna see it."

"Be careful!" Carol called out as they left the kitchen.

Warren silently went to the control room as they made their way to the elevator. The ride up was quiet but for the clicks of checking weapons and getting them ready to use if necessary.

The door opened onto the darkened foyer. It was the first time Shane had been up here after dark, and he could see it was lit from below with soft blue emergency lights only, making it seem eerie and deserted, like something out of a horror movie. They looked up just as a streak of lightening flew across the sky and the room flashed brightly, throwing strange shadows across their faces and making them look momentarily freakish.

"How do we know there's nothing out there?" Rick asked and Shane pointed up to the camera on the wall.

"It would have set off the alarm."

"Won't we set it off, then?"

Dean shook his head and tightened his grip on his handgun. "Nah. Warren took care of that, didn't you Warren?" He glanced up at the camera.

"Yes, Dean. It's going off now." Warren's voice came through a speaker on the wall and Rick did a double take at it. "You're clear."

"You the man, Warren. Open 'er up!"

The storm was going to be wild. It had yet to begin raining, but the clouds above them looked heavy and ready to burst. The sky was alive with lightening every few seconds and thunder pounded at their ears as they moved to the cars Rick and the group had parked nearby. Rick and T-Dog moved quickly, throwing bags in a pile on the ground, and Shane started picking them up and slinging them over his shoulders.

The wind had picked up dramatically, dislodging Trouble's hair from her ponytail slightly and whipping around her body, actually pushing her small frame forward. It was warm and humid, and it felt nice on her skin. She narrowed her eyes and watching the lightening tear across the sky. Dean came up beside her, his eyes on the storm.

"Looks like its going to be bad." He said, loudly so she could hear him over the thunder that was rumbling across the distance.

"You remember that lake we went to when we were a kid?" She asked, her eyes never leaving the sky. "The way those storms used to just appear out of nowhere and come over the water? Kinda looked like this."

"It does, doesn't it? Man, I haven't thought about that in forever." He gave a her a grin. "You were never afraid though. Aunt Bonnie had to drag you inside. You wanted to stay out and watch it all night."

She eyes fell and she pressed her lips together at the mention of her mother's name. It hadn't been said in such a long time. "Yeah." She abruptly turned back to the three men gathering bags. "Let's get back inside before it breaks."

Dean threw a couple bags over his shoulder and Trouble grabbed a couple as they helped them get back into the gate. Warren had left it open while they worked and they moved back inside quickly just as the first few heavy raindrops began to fall.

"Dean! Trouble!" Warren's voice had been masked by the storm and the sound of the gate, but when the doors closed he came through loudly. "One is inside the gate. Headed across the back field."

Trouble had dropped the bags and was racing up the stairs to the second floor with Shane close behind. She reaching the top and swung herself up a ladder that was attached to the wall, throwing open an access panel on the ceiling and climbing through it. Shane saw her racing across the roof, darting over and around shiny solar panels that lay in rows along the entire surface. The sky had broken completely and they were both soaked to the skin by the time she threw her body stomach down on the edge, grabbing a rifle that lay against the wall and brought it the scope to her eye. He lay down and snatched up a pair of nearby binoculars. At this height, and with the lightening flashing brightly around them, they could see a black shape jerking across the field. It moved like a stop animation cartoon, and she aimed, firing. The thunder covered any possible sound of a shot, and the body dropped with a thud.

"I don't see any more." Rick and T-Dog had crouched down beside her on the right, staying low and looking out over the grounds. The rain was making seeing almost an impossibility. The trees whipped wildly, casting shadows and movement and making the area beyond the gate look alive. It was impossible to determine what was a walker and what wasn't. "We gotta get down!"

Shane looked at Rick, rain running into his eyes and down his face in a sheet. "He's right. Let's go Trouble. We'll come back after the storm."

She didn't acknowledge him at first, keeping her eye to the scope. "Oh screw this." Dean said from behind her and grabbed the back of her shirt, yanking her up. "Get your ass up. We're gonna get struck by lightening!"

She hissed and dropped the rifle, and Dean grabbed her hand, pulling her back toward the access panel in the roof. She went down first, followed by the rest. The small square above might as well have been a faucet- water was running in and covering the walls and and floor, making everything slick and coloring the pale concrete a deep black shade against the security lights. T-Dog came down last, slamming the access panel behind him with a loud clank.

It was something to be said for how soundproof the building actually. The room was plunged into silence, the sounds of their heavy breathing were all Shane could hear. The room flashed brightly with the lightening that hadn't give up a bit, and the thunder sounded muffled and distant. He bent over, resting his hands on his knees.

"Damn, man." T-Dog ran a hand over his face. "Fuckin' walkers."

Trouble was looking up at the access panel angrily, willing the storm away with her mind. She knew Rick was right about the lightening. They were easy targets up there. They'd have to wait, but she didn't have to be happy about it.

"Yeah." Dean said grimly. "Come on, let's get this stuff downstairs." He started down the stairs, pulling his sopping jacket off as we walked. T-Dog followed him.

When they reached the ground she looked up into the camera. "How's it lookin' out there, Warren?"

"It's clear. Only one came over the gate. The alarm is back on." Warren's voice came through the speakers.

"Only one is all it takes." She said resentfully as she hit the elevator doors slid open.

When they reentered the common room they were met with wide eyes. They looked like they had gone swimming fully dressed, and Anna quickly started helping pick up wet jackets and bags, whisking them away to start drying them. Carol and Maggie joined her, and Lori approached Rick.

"Are you ok?" She asked him, throwing a look over the soggy guys. Trouble and Shane were walking down the hall and they watched them go.

"Yes. It's fine. Just a storm." He said, his hand on her arm. "Let's get this stuff put away."

Shane closed the door behind them as they entered her bedroom. "You can't just go off like that, Trouble." He said, immediately realizing that it was strange to hear coming from himself. "You coulda gotten hurt. All those panels up and there and that lightening."

She pulled her soggy shirt over her head and walked into the bathroom. She looked at him in the mirror when he leaned in the doorway and watched her dry her hair with a towel. "There was a walker in the gate, Shane. What would you have done?"

"I dunno. But it was dangerous." He shoved his hand in his pocket and frowned.

She laughed at him. "Look at the world, Shane. Everything is dangerous."

He wasn't going to win. He knew that. He left the room and walked over to the chair. She poked her head around the doorway, and she had changed into a new pair of low rise dark jeans and a black tank top that came down low. She looked stunning. She was finishing putting her hair back up in a ponytail.

"Don't even think about it." She watched him go for her chair, and she threw a towel at him. "You're already getting water all over my room."

He grinned and grabbed the towel and headed to his room to see if there were any dry clothes. He found them folded on his bed again and silently thanked Anna. The woman was a magic maker.

Trouble and Rick were in the control room when he entered, maps and photos spread over the desk in front of them. Sam, Dean, Ian, Tanner, Glen, and T-Dog were huddled around, looking over shoulders, and Shane joined them. He couldn't help but notice Ian slid a little closer to Trouble when he came in.

She was explaining what she had told him earlier. About the best place to put the mines and how it would work. She was met with nods and grunts as she spoke.

"So, when do we do this?" T-Dog asked, looking down at her.

"First light. You said there were about a day south?" He asked Rick and he nodded.

"Just about." He said.

"We take two trucks and go to this bunker here." Her finger landed on a small square about two acres away from the house. "We load the mines as fast as we can and we can be at the gap in about ten minutes. Lay 'em in rows, tight. Cover this whole area. A squirrel won't be able to get through that."

"That'll work." Shane said, nodding.

"You'll excuse me if I bring up a glaring detail here you people have seemed to have missed." Ian said, pinching the thumb of his nose with his thumb and finger. "How are we going to know if it worked? This is a mile and half down the road. You wanna hang out and watch?"

He was right, Shane thought. Dean stood and walked to a row of shelves at the end of the room and grabbed two boxes. He brought them back to the desk and opened them, pulling out two remote cameras.

"These babies. That's how we know if it worked. We hang out and watch." He grinned up at Ian, mocking his words.

"We'll switch the feed from the back field and reroute it." Sam said.

"That's great, but means we don't have eyes back there." Trouble said. "Something comes over the wall again, we won't see it."

"We'll put Glenn on the roof with a shotgun." Shane said. "He'll be able to see everything up there." Glenn looked so relieved he didn't have to go back out there he almost laughed, but he squashed it quickly.

"That's good. Sam, you need to stay here and watch the cameras with Warren." Trouble looked up at Sam. "We'll need you to be our eyes. Ian goes to the roof with Glen."

"The rest of us lay the mines down." Shane said, leaning back.

"And hillbilly jack and me will cover you with the bows to keep the noise down." She stood and and brushed her hands together. Shane felt his chest tighten. She was planning on going out there too. Of course she was.

"Daryl can cover us by himself. You should be with Sam in here watching to see if it works." He said and she gave him a strange look.

"I think Sam can handle it. You need two bows out there in case the herd moved faster than we expected."

He wasn't going to argue with her in front of everyone. Rick was already looking at him knowingly, and he didn't feel like dealing with it. At least Ian didn't as pissed at him when he'd made the suggestion. He obviously didn't want her out there either.

Knowing their place in the plan, most of them retreated to spend their first night in the house. Sam began working on getting the cameras working and prepping for rerouting the feeds and Dean helped him. Rick pulled Trouble and Shane aside.

"I think Shane is right. You would be better on the cameras." He said gently, looking at Trouble.

She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah? You think? Ok, Rick. You see this place?" She pointed at the ceiling as she spoke. "This is my playground. I'll go where I'm needed, and you _do_ need me out there."

Shane shook his head at Rick softly and he closed his mouth. He held up his hands in surrender.

She walked past them and started getting the weapons they would need loaded and ready for the morning. No sense in making it wait.

Lori poked her head in the door and entered when she saw Rick and Shane.

"So, you're going out there again." She said, coming to them and crossing her arms.

"For a little bit in the morning. We'll stop the herd from coming anywhere near this place." Rick and answered and she looked up at Shane.

"You agree with this?" She asked, cocking her head. "Because from what I've heard from hallway it sounds like you want to take almost every able bodied man we've got here and send them out in trucks filled with explosives. What happens if something goes wrong? What if you don't come back?"

"That's not gonna happen, Lori. It's a good plan." Shane rubbed his head.

"And we'll be careful." Rick said, looking her in the eyes. "We move fast, we'll be back before you know it."

She tossed her head back and pulled Rick into the doorway. Shane sighed deeply and went to help Trouble.

"Doesn't want him to go, huh?" She mumbled as she inspected the rifle she was holding. She put it down and started to load the spare magazines with bullets.

"You got it." He said, leaning back against the wall, watching her. He saw her lips twitch with a small smile when something Lori said drifted back to them. 'Just a kid, and G.I. Jane' were clearly evident in the heated conversation and Shane saw Rick glance over at them. Finally, he pulled Lori out into the hall and Shane looked back down at Trouble.

"We gonna talk about you goin' out there?" He asked.

"Nothing to talk about." She answered flatly, putting down the magazine she was holding and turned to walk away. He let out a deep breath and Sam shot him a look.

"Any advice? I just don't think it's a good idea." Shane bit his lip and frowned.

"I'm with you, bud. But she's already brought all these people in here against her better judgment and she trusted you on that. Ian's pissed off at you and she's got your back on that too." Dean looked up from the camera we was holding. "You ain't gonna be able to stop her. Maybe you just trust her on this."

"I think she knows what she's doing. I've seen it." Said Sam.

Shane crossed his arms and nodded, thinking hard.


	11. Goodbye, friend

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

Trouble was irritated and left the control before Shane could say something that was really gonna piss her off. Anna and Warren, as well as the rest of the house had retired for the night, and she couldn't hear anything in the quiet house. She glanced up at the clock. 11:58. They were going to have to be in action in just four short hours but there was no way she was going to be able to sleep.

She went to the kitchen for a bottle of water and was surprised to see Rick sitting at the counter, twirling a glass in his hands and obviously looking deep in thought. His head snapped up when he heard her enter.

"What's up?" She asked as she opened the fridge and pulled out a clear plastic bottle. "You guys get settled in ok?"

"Yeah, thanks." He gave her a smile smile. I'm sorry for Lori. She's just worried."

"I get it." She said, leaning back against the sink and taking a drink. "I guess we wouldn't even know about the herd until they got here if it wasn't for you, so we're good."

He smiled again, still focused on twirling that glass. He looked so sad. Normally she wouldn't care, but something about how he carried himself made her a little curious. That, and the obvious tension between him, Shane, and Lori. Those looks she was constantly throwing Shane's way had not been lost on Trouble.

"So, you think they know their places tomorrow? We can't screw this up." She quickly dropped her line of thought.

"Yeah. We move fast and quick, I think it'll work. That idea Dean and Sam had about the cameras was great."

"They always had a knack for that stuff. Ever since we were kids they were always doing shit like that. Drove our parents crazy"

"They your brothers?" He asked, slightly confused.

"They're my cousins." She said and he nodded.

"And Ian?" Rick asked casually.

"Don't even get me started on Ian." She said, smiling, capping her bottle. "Get some sleep, Rick. We leave at 4. You get your people and I'll get mine. Meet you in the control room."

"Ok." Rick said, watching her leave the room. He was surprised to see, even in this messed up world, how a girl so young could be so hard. It was obvious she made the decisions around here, they all listened to her and she was smart enough to be able to handle it.

Another painfully obvious thing he noticed was that Shane had changed, so much for the better, and, as Rick had suspected earlier, he knew Trouble was the reason why. He had feelings for each her, and it made sense. They were too much alike not too. It also made Rick happy for Shane. Looks like the only people who hated the situation was Ian, who very clearly didn't like anybody, and...Lori. Rick was starting to think she might actually be jealous. When Shane had left camp she had pretty much stopped talking to him, convinced he had chased Shane away. Whatever they had thought they had felt all that time he was gone, well, for Lori, it didn't look like was over yet.

Shane had seen Trouble talking to Rick in the kitchen. He left them alone, but listened just outside. Casual conversation, she was by no means extremely pleasant with the man, and that made Shane glad. He knew they were sharing something special here. But he also knew he had come very close to pissing her off with the comment about wanting her to stay behind.

If they were going to go out there tomorrow, there was a very real possibility some wouldn't coming back, no matter what Rick had said. That being the case there was no way he was going to give up spending the last night near her. Shane walked to Trouble's room and let himself in. He took his shirt off and considered rewrapping the bandages from when he had removed them but decided against it. The pain was bad, but he grabbed a few more of those pain pills of the table and laid back on the bed.

She entered a few minutes later, and he found he couldn't really read her expression. Maybe coming here was a mistake. She quietly crossed the room and tugged her jeans off and tossed them on the floor before she laid down herself. They weren't touching, but somehow Shane felt she had just given her approval of his presence.

"Sorry I ticked you off." He said simply, turning on his side and resting his head on his hand. She lit a cigarette and took a deep breath.

"You can't do this without me. I'm glad you seemed to have stopped trying."

She raised her knee and exposed an impressive display of thigh. He reached out and ran a rough hand up her leg and she looked down at him a little devilishly. She crushed out her smoke and turned to him, running a hand over the fading bruise there. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply, pulling her ponytail free and tangling his fingers in her hair.

"It's time, Shane." He heard her voice in his ear and opened his eyes, immediately awake. She must have been up a little before him because she was already prepared to get out there. She had dressed in an extremely tight fitting black outfit with the sleeves ripped off, and had pinned her hair up on her head. He understood why. A walker gets too close it would be markedly harder to get a grip on her.

He dressed quickly and started for the control room. He found almost all the men there except Warren and Hershel. Andrea was there too, but Trouble would be the one leading this and she walked in a second later, coffee cup in hand. Most of their mouths dropped open when they saw her. She looked svelte, and extremely dangerous. Of course, Shane couldn't keep his eyes off her, but this time Rick went a little pale, too.

"Gear up, guys." She said and they began to strap guns to their hips or in their waistband. Shane watched her get two of her own and affix them to each of her thighs. Then got that bowie knife she favored and stuck in a small holster on her hip. The bow lay in the corner and she grabbed that and a new batch of arrows. When she was properly satisfied they have armed themselves well, she spoke.

"All right. I think we got this down pretty well. But just remember, we move fast. They could be really close if we've misjudged that. You got the cameras rerouted?" She asked Sam and Dean.

"These two monitors can be switched soon as we're done. We just have to plant the cameras." Sam answered and she nodded.

"Good." Where's Daryl? He's got to cover the other side. And where are those signs we have to post? I thought Anna said she made them." She asked.

"Here. And Daryl said he'd meet us in the lobby." Rick answered.

"We have two cars out the on the street and I want to get them on our way back." She said, and they started to the surface. Daryl was in fact, waiting for them looking pissed off as usual, and Ian and Glenn went up the access panel to the roof to hold down the fields that would not be covered.

The storm had cleaned the sky and the predawn air felt cool. She led the group to two trucks and an SUV. Rick threw the signs Anna had made in the bed of the truck, a hammer, and a box of nails as everyone climbed in. She took the hill and a minute or so later they were pulling in front of a medium sized concrete bunker. Trouble dug a key from her pocket and unlatched the heavy metal door. The smell was old and a little musty, but the landmines were across shelves all the way around the room.

"These look pretty old, man." Dean said warily.

"Don't drop them and you should be fine." Shane said and started to load them on the truck. With everyone's help, it only took a half hour, and only that long because no one wanted to jostle these things too much.

Dean grabbed the walkie he had and pushed the button. "We got it Sam. Heading out now."

"Let me know when to switch feeds, man. I'll be waiting." Sam's voice crackled back.

Shane, Rick, Trouble and Tanner got into the trucks, Dean, T-Dog, Daryl, and Andrea got into the SUV. They made their way to the gate and Dean hopped out and unlocked it after he scanned the roadway for walkers. Finding nothing, he opened the gate and allowed them passage before re securing it and hopping back in the car.

Shane's car was in the lead, the other one following. It was fairly quiet, and that was good because it gave them time to focus on the job at hand. A little bit after they passed the body pile they had created and their abandoned cars, Trouble put a hand on Rick's arm and pointed.

"There we go. Keep the cars back a distance in case something blows up."

"You got it." He pulled out his own walkie and spoke. "Hang back people. Don't park too close." It didn't look like a typical highway. Like Trouble had shown, the road itself was indeed squeezed between a cliff and a straight drop off the hill, but as it opened back up in front of them there were a few buildings, stores and such. They were all decimated, no glass in panes had survived, and there was a car buried in an ice cream shop front nearby.

They were on alert. All getting out, Trouble began giving directions. "Stay to the left at first. I don't want to step on one of these things. You cover us while I'm doing that, Daryl." He nodded and Andrea, Shane, T-Dog and Tanner started unloading the mines and rowing them along the ground.

Dean had found a good place for the cameras, on each side a short distance from the gap in the road. "Switch the feeds, Sam." He said into his walkie.

"Done. It's lookin' good." Came the response.

Trouble had grabbed the signs and the hammer and nails and had gone down just past where the landmines would start. Anna had written 'Not safe. Landmines on this road' in big black letters and Trouble found a tree and nailed it to it. She went to the other end of the road and did the same with the other sign, in case anyone came from the opposite direction.

"Walker." Everyone heard Daryl and turned. It was coming from the north and was maybe 40 feet away. He raised his crossbow and fired, dropping the corpse. Suddenly it seemed a lot more urgent than ever before that they get out of here fast. Trouble strung her bow, and while she was observing their surroundings, she was also watching the group work. Shane had begun a system where Andrea, Tanner and T-Dog laid the mines out and he and Rick and Dean would go behind them to arm them. It was good, until she saw another walker, this one from the south and it had company. She knew it wasn't the herd yet, there were only two, and she shot them down.

"We gotta get out of here. I'm not havin a good feeling about this." Rick said softly as he worked.

"We only have another fifty or so. Let's move it." Shane answered.

Trouble took the next two walkers easily and didn't say anything, Rushing because they think the heard is coming makes people clumsy and foolish, and that's how people get hurt. She glanced back and saw Daryl retrieving his arrow from the forehead of a walker he had just dropped, and she could see another approaching beyond him. She raised her bow and fired, and heard the scream as it plunged into the walkers eye cavity.

Shane saw it before it happened. Trouble and Daryl were doing a good job of keeping the strays off them, and their silence was ensuring no more would be drawn right away. They were laying out the last of the mines, and Rick was bent over, setting it. Shane stood up just in time to see Tanner walk back to the truck they had ridden in on.

The walker must have been in one of the buildings because it appeared out of nowhere and was on Tanner's turned back before he heard it. He never had a chance. It grabbed his shoulder and ripped away at his neck with half a jaw, blood spurting everywhere.

"Shit!" Shane could hear Daryl even over Tanner's screams. Pop! The walker's head exploded with Daryl's arrow, and the boy dropped to the ground, holding his neck and crying out for help. Trouble and Dean were by his side in a second.

"I didn't see it. I didn't see it, man. What the fuck?" Tanner was moaning over and over, his eyes glassy and full of pain. Dean grabbed a hankerchief from his pocket and tried to stop the bleeding, but they knew it wasn't going to do any good.

"I know, man. It's ok. You're gonna be ok. We got ya." Dean was saying, his voice rough and husky. "Just breath, man. Stay with me."

"Cover us! We're getting out of here!" Shane pointed back to the group. "In the trucks! Now!"

Rick didn't want to go. The leader in his told him he should be standing over that boy trying to help, but there was no help to be had. He gathered the others and they began piling in the car.

Shane knelt down by the injured Tanner. He was gasping for breath rapidly but softly. Trouble had taken his hand, and he was gripping it tightly, but her face was almost blank, like she was just watching the scene unfold. Tanner gave out a final gasp and his head tilted to the side. He was gone.

"God damn it!" Dean cursed loudly, slamming his fist into Tanner's bloody chest.

"Come on, Shane!" Rick yelled from the car. There's more, and they are headed for those mines!"

Shane grabbed Trouble arm but she knocked it away. She reached for her gun at her side and placed it on Tanner's temple. She fired and the roadway was splattered in fresh warm blood. She stood calmly and started back for the truck. Shane was alarmed by this reaction, but he'd have to deal with it later. The walkers coming toward the gap were less than two hundred feet away. He grabbed Tanner's body and swung it over his shoulder, putting him in the back of the truck Rick was driving and climbing in himself. Andrea was driving and squealed tires when they raced away. Trouble was in the car behind him, and he kept looking back to make sure she and the others stayed close.

"Faster, guys! They're almost there and you're too close. Get around the bend. I'm coming to unlock the gate." Sam's voice crackled through the walkie on Shane's belt, and he knew the other car had heard too because they began to race through the streets even faster.

They had passed the bend when they heard the first explosion. Then another. And another. Suddenly it was a barrage of now distant **bams!** as they pulled up to the gate. Sam was waiting where he said he would, and pulled the gate open quickly as he saw them approach. They shot through and Trouble's car stopped inside to let Sam get in.

"They were faster than we thought. The herd." She said softly, her eyes on the field as they drove over the hills toward the house. Sam looked over at her and just nodded. No one knew quite knew what to say, but they had to put it away for a moment to deal with the matter at hand.

Glen saw them coming from the roof and he and Ian rushed down to meet them as the entered the lobby. Ian saw the blood on Trouble and Shane, and when he realized Tanner wasn't with them, he put two and two together. His eyebrows furrowed quickly though and he darted to Trouble. He took in her bloody face and hands.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" He was almost frantic.

"You know what I would have done if it was, Ian. I wouldn't be standing here." She said with less acidity than she normally would in the situation.

"Well, you've got to be fucking kidding me." He belted out. "What did I tell you?" They ignored him as they went into the elevator. Ian seethed but got in too. Everyone was waiting for them, everyone, when they got out at the ground floor. They already knew, they were surely looking at the monitors because no one said anything.

Shane, Rick and Trouble jogged to the control room, and when Warren saw them he quickly left them to watch what was still going on in the monitors. They leaned forward, heads almost touching as they peered at the screens. At least a hundred bodied littered the ground, pieces of organs and body parts here and there. The walkers that remained had seemed to back off, and there were at least 50 or so mines that didn't even look touched. They had won, but it had been at serious consequence.

Trouble sat down in the chair and ran a hand through her hair. Rick and Shane stood there for a moment, letting her be.

"It wasn't anybody's fault. We did the best we could." Rick said quietly, looking down at her.

She looked up him and he was shocking to she the lack of emotion across her face. "I know that. Tanner knew the risks. We all did."

Shane frowned. He could feel like guilt coming in waves off of her, and the way she was ignoring it was slightly alarming. Her face, hands, and hair were splattered in blood, but she didn't seem to notice.

"I want someone watching these all the time. I'm going to get Sam to re-route one of the monitors. The other one stays aimed at the street. We bury Tanner in the morning." She said calmly and left the room.

"That... was strange." Rick looked over at Shane. "She always like that?"

"Yeah. A lot of the time, yeah." Shane rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.

"Because she seems like she might be in a little shock." Rick said. "We all saw how she dealt with Tanner. And she's acting like nothing happened."

"She'll be fine. Leave her be. It's the best thing to do, believe me."

"There's something there, isn't it? You're so different from the last time I saw you."

"Maybe." And that was all Shane was going to say in the matter. It wasn't anybody's business.


	12. Party through the pain

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

The tone of the house had gone eerily silent and tense. Carol, Maggie, and Anna worked in the kitchen making dinner. No one was hungry, but it just seemed like the thing to do. Lori and Carl were keeping busy studying out of some old textbook and she was quizzing him on history in the common room. Hershell, Maggie, Glenn, and T-Dog had gone to their rooms to escape the awkwardness

Trouble saw Sam as she passed though the common room and asked him to re-route that monitor. Then she went to Dean's room and let herself in. He was sitting in an armchair in the corner, a bottle of tequila in his hand. He hadn't cleaned up either. His clothes and hands were stained a dark red. She came and sat on the edge of his bed, taking the bottle from him and swallowing a large mouthful before handing it back to him.

"We'll bury him in the morning." She said. He was so much like her that she knew to go into some long diatribe about how things happen, people get killed, blah blah blah... It would only piss him off and she didn't believe it anyway.

"Sounds like a plan. He said, "But, in the meantime, I'm planning on getting shitfaced." She could see he wasn't sad so much as he was mad.

"We got the herd. Most of 'em. The mines did the trick, looks like. The ones that were left were turning back." She said.

"That works." He said flatly. She took the bottle and grabbed another drink. "I'm going to go get cleaned up. Get that blood off you, Dean. It's dangerous."

He looked down at himself like he hadn't really noticed. "Yeah. Good idea." He got up slowly and headed to the bathroom.

"Hey." She said, and he turned back to her for a moment. "When you're done meet me and we'll get shitfaced together. How's that?"

He grinned. "And this is why I love you."" He raised the bottle and disappeared into the bathroom.

Trouble stood at her own bathroom sink trying to scrub Tanner's blood from her body. Finally, she gave up and just stripped, getting into the shower and letting the hot water wash over, try to still her manic thoughts. She wasn't sure how long she had been there, but when she emerged wrapped in a large towel, she found Shane sitting on her bed.

"What's up?" She asked, drying her hair.

"Not a lot. Just wanted to see if you wanted to talk about what happened. He was your friend."

"And it sucks what happened to him." She dug around in a drawer and finding a black tank top. And short shorts. Throwing them on, she turned back to him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "I'm sad he's gone. Ok? I am. But if you are expecting me to be huddled over there in the corner crying my little heart out you got the wrong room. Any one of us could have died out there today, we all knew that and went anyway."

Shane looked at her with wonder. She was so hard, only letting in those few people she knew she could trust. She could drink like a fish and shoot better than he could. If she had a weakness, it would only be that she was too perfect. And she wanted him too. It was pushing him over the edge. He loved her.

He stood, his head swimming, and he walked to her. He stroked her cheek gently and smiled down at her. "Alright. Not gonna bug ya about it."

She gave him a relieved glance. "Good. Because I'm a little too busy for a heart to heart right now. I'n fixin' to go drink Dean under that nice coffee table out there."

"What?" He laughed.

"Hey. I found him in his room already getting started. Boy needs to get some anger out and its better than anything else I can picture him doing right now. You coming?"

"Yeah." He chuckled. "Let me get the rest of the house on lockdown in case any of you decided to get a little wild first, huh? Meet you there." He kissed her head.

Anna understood. She was still dripping a tear down her cheek now and then when Shane found her in the kitchen, cleaning things that had already been cleaned. She didn't know what else to do.

"Hey Anna." Shane said and she ran up to him and hugged him tightly.

"It's just so awful. So awful."

"I know." He pulled her back gently and looked down at her. "I need your help, ok?" She nodded tearfully. "It's gonna get pretty crazy in here tonight. You think you can get some people out of the line of fire for a while? You know, get them down to their rooms. The ones you don't really think might want to see it."

She nodded again and wiped her eyes. "I know, and I've already taken care of it. Andrea, Carol, Carl, Lori, Maggie and Carl are already downstairs. It's happened before. I can hear it's already getting started." She peered around him as the sounds of loud rock music started from the common room.

"Thank you." He kissed her cheek and she patted his shoulder. "Oh, and Shane? I went ahead and moved your things into Trouble's room. You spend more time there anyway."

He grinned at her, lovingly.

The chairs and couches had bodies slung haphazardly over them, bobbing to music and drinking beers. The men had stayed, T-Dog, Ian. Even Daryl had made his way there and Shane saw his leaning up against a wall holding a bottle with a clear liquid inside that Shane could only guess he could have brewed himself. It probably tasted toxic because even Daryl gave a small wince when he swallowed.

"So, why do I get a feeling that if we were still cops, we'd be doing few public disturbances tonight?" Rick came up next to Shane, drinking a beer.

Shane grinned. "I'd say you'd be right, brother."

Maggie had changed into a pretty blue tank top and shorts and was busy chatting Trouble's ear off in a corner, Glen never drifting more than a few feet from her, his eyes glued to her the entire time and a permanent blush on his young face.

Dean had clearly gotten a head start, like Trouble had said. He was laughing a little too frequently, slightly louder than he would. Rick moved to a armchair near the group and watched them all with a tired sort of peace. He finally felt like he could breath.

"You, my man, do NOT have musical dictatorship tonight!" Trouble was teasing Dean, yanking a remote from Dean's hand. She crashed back down into a chair and Shane came and sat on the arm of it. Ian caught his eye, typical irritated look. This was getting so old.

"Watch it, girl. I'll take you down you play any of that shit you always try and sneak in here. Keep it cool. No depressing shit." He raised an eyebrow at her threateningly.

She clicked a button. "How's this?" Tom Jones came over the speakers and everyone gave a simultaneous groan. She laughed and clicked again. "Ok, ok, here."

"Oh, hell yeah!" Sam jumped up and grabbed Trouble's hand, yanking her to her feet. 'All American Nightmare' was blaring and they started dancing in a way. It was more mouthing along to the words with lots of Sam's air guitar. Truthfully, most eyes were on Trouble. She was writhing gracefully to the hardcore beat, throwing her hair around and keeping time to the music. Sam couldn't keep up with her and fell, laughing, back onto the couch and downing the rest of his beer.

Dean stood and grabbed a nearby bottle of tequila and quickly poured two shots. "Hell yeah, Trouble owned you, bro!" He laughed and handed her one of the shots. They took them together and everyone whooped loudly.

She grabbed the remote. "I know what Dean wants." 'Bad Company' started slowly, guitar riff, and Dean raised his bottle in triumph.

"Yes. Thank you. Dear God, thank you." He leaned back and playfully gave his Blue Steel face, singing along. Everyone lay back and listened to the tune, laughing at him now and then. He was really into it. At the chorus, Ian moved over and got next to him, singing along. They all burst out in laughter at the normally pissed Ian finally letting go. This was what they needed. A moment to just be. Even Ian seemed to realize that.

Maggie held up her beer and yelled. "RHCP!"

Trouble's head whipped around. "Give that girl a drink, people! Hell yes!" She grabbed the remote and 'Hump De Bump' began to play. Dean handed her another two shots and Maggie ran up next to her, skipping clean over Sam on the floor. She grabbed the drink, clinked it with Trouble's and they downed them, then they began to dance together. Their tossing heads and moving arms and hips was almost too much for the men in the group, mouths went open all over the room and Glen looked like he was going to pass out.

T-Dog got up and walked over to Trouble, and whispered something in her ear. Shane, and everyone else, perked up at the odd move, and were confused when her face broke out in a wide smile and she leaned back and looked up at him.

"You realize that might actually kill Dean, right? Like, his head might explode." She laughed.

"What?" Dean drawled, warily.

"As the only standing member of the black community here, I feel I should have a say." T-Dog said lightly.

"Hey, I'm with him. Go for it, man." She handed him the remote. Swing, by Savage started thumping through the speakers and Trouble got up to move with T-Dog. They both knew the dance and moved in tandem, dropping low, moving back. Dean covered his head with a pillow and groaned. Shane was laughing, he'd never seen T-Dog this way and he had to admit the man could move. And Trouble had absolutely no trouble matching his movements. She was gorgeous.

Rick was tipsy, and he didn't care. The music and the laughter and the dancing was drowning everything that was stressing him out, and it felt GOOD.

"Damn, girl. I ain't know you was black!" T-Dog said as the song faded and everyone cracked up.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, brother." She countered. "How's about a little 'Country Grammar'?"

"Oooooo!" T said and they kept dancing. Rick watched her move, the alcohol fuzzing up his brain. She... could... move... God she was hot. He totally understood why Shane had never come back. If it wasn't for Carl, he probably wouldn't have either.

"I'm going to need more liquor for this." Dean groaned and went to the kitchen, coming back with a bottle of tequila, already opened and to his lips.

"Alright, alright." Trouble was laughing as the song faded. "I think I know what's more our country lawmen here might appreciate." She clicked the remote.

Ian hit the floor laughing. "I love it. Oh my god." He said, breathless. "Honkytonk Badonkadonk. Perfect!"

"Oh yeah?" Rick said, taking a drink. "Gimme that thing." He reached out and Trouble tossed it to him. He glanced at it a sec and clicked a button. "This is better."

American Badass began to blare and Dean and Sam tilted their beers up to him in approval.

"Finally. Somebody has a soul and isn't trying to destroy mine." Dean said.

"Hell yes." Ian said, finally getting up and grabbing Trouble. They moved together, Trouble laughing at his moves. He dipped and swung with her, and they collapsed in a tumble in a chair, laughing, as the song ended. Shane saw Ian's drunken hands holding his girl and his stomach knotted a little in jealousy. He quelled it quickly though, this was going to be a good night, as much as it could.

"You remember Tanner's favorite one?" Sam's laughter fading slightly with his words. Everyone stilled a little, and Trouble settled in next to Ian on the couch. He threw an arm over her shoulders and his eyes darkened.

"Intergalactic." Trouble said, shaking her head. "Boy loved the Beastie Boys."

"Used to play that shit over and over. Wouldn't stop." Ian said. Dean glanced over and grinned.

"And you kicked his ass that night. Remember? After like the tenth time you just wailed on him."

Ian leaned forward and grabbed the bottle. "Didn't hurt him. Much." He swallowed and grinned.

"Yeah, just his pride." Sam said, smiling. "That was so funny. He moped around for days."

Rick glanced up at Shane. They were lost in this conversation. Tanner hadn't been a part of their lives, really. But they had lost people. Sophia. They knew what they were feeling. T-Dog stood back up and grabbed the remote.

"Well I wanna see more of this girl's moves, if ya'll don't mind stopping the depressing shit here." Trouble grinned at him, and hopped up.

"Your choice." She said, handing him the remote.

"It's all you, girl. Go ahead." T said, and she shrugged.

"Ok. You asked for it." She hit a button and M.I.A. Began through the speakers. "Bad girls do it well." She grinned and grabbed Shane, pulling him to his feet. It was a middle eastern beat and she danced around him, twirling her hands and swinging her hips. He immediately felt his erection begin to spring to life, and a blush crept up his cheeks at the audience. Dean and Sam were watching her with patient, loving gazes. She was a force unto herself and they long ago tried to reel her in. But Rick was staring in a drunken, lustful gaze that hit Shane like a brick wall. It was time for bed.

He hit the remote and the music stopped.

"Oh, man." T groaned. "It was just getting started." Rick seemed to snap out of it, his gaze going back to the floor. Trouble stopped and looked up at Shane.

"Tired?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowing. He nodded, and even gave a fake yawn to prove the point.

"Yeah, me too." Dean groaned and got up slowly. Sam followed and stretched his tall frame out.

"Goodnight." Sam said, heading back to his bedroom.

"You gonna be ok, cowboy?" Trouble looked down at Rick. He was blitzed, his eyes glassy. He looked back up at her blearily.

"Yeah. I'm good." He started to stand up but tripped and landed back in the chair, laughing.

"Yeah, you're fantastic." She said sarcastically and leaned down, grabbing his arm and pulling him up. He hit her hard as he stood and she stumbled back a little, but Ian came around to the other side and helped support him.

Shane was still angry at the looks Rick had been giving Trouble, but he breathed deeply, putting it away. "He can't go back down there like that." He said.

"He can sleep in one of the spares up here." She said, wrapping her arm around Rick's waist and trying to hold him up. Ian put Rick's arm over his shoulder and bolstered him up. Shane followed them down the hallway, ducking into Trouble's room when they were busy with Rick. He wanted Trouble in his arms so badly he could taste it. He stripped his shirt quickly and went to brush the liquor from his teeth and silently ached for her to come back.

"Where'r we going?" Rick mumbled, paused as Trouble and Ian led him down the hallway. He pulled arm free of Ian and stood on his own two feet.

"You're gonna go sleep it off, cowboy. I got this. Go get some sleep." She looked back at Ian.

"You sure?" He stood there indescively for a moment. He had wanted to get her alone again, talk to her. And he sure as hell didn't trust this new guy.

"Believe me, I've put all of you down at one point or another." She chuckled. "See you in the morning."

"If you're sure." He held up his hands and backed away toward his door. He shot a glance at Tanner's door next to his and his eyes darkened. Tonight was gonna suck, even if he was drunk.

"Fine, but come to my room when you're done, ok?" He said, and she nodded.

Rick let her support him again, leaning on her as she led him further down the hallway. In his drunken stupor he stayed silent, but his arm tightened around her when he got a whiff from her hair. She smelled amazing, like flowers and whiskey.

"Alright, man. Come on." She opened a door and they stepped into a darkened room that looked exactly like the one he and Lori and Carl had downstairs. He stumbled over to the king size bed and let her help him down. He looked at her as she worked over him, taking his shoes off for him.

"I'm sorry about the kid." He said softly and she turned the corner of her mouth down, not looking at him.

"Me too. You want to keep your shirt on? It's pretty dirty." She asked, standing up and putting a hand on her hip. He blearily looked down and saw that indeed, his teeshirt was streaked in places with dirt and a little sweat. He tried to sit up and fumbled for the bottom clumsily.

"Oh Lord, man. Come on, let me do it." She said, mixture of amusement and irritation in her voice. She leaned over him and pulled his shirt up over his head and he fell back on the bed. Even in the darkness, her blond hair glowed. He didn't want her to leave.

"Thanks." He mumbled.

"Yeah." She reached and pulled the blanket over him.

"So, you and Shane, huh?" He asked, his curiosity and the alcohol making him blunter than he normally would be.

She looked up at him and frowned. "Don't beat around the bush, do ya?"

"Figures like it, that's all. He's better than he was." He didn't know how to articulate his words properly. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, looking up at her face. "It's good. He's lucky."

"And that's enough emoting for tonight, I think." She said, removing herself from his grip.

"Just wish Lori would get over it." He mumbled sleepily and her ears perked up.

"What did you say?" She leaned back down but he had drifted off to sleep. She shook him and his eyes slowly blinked open and shut again. "Rick. What about Lori?"

"I dunno. What?" He was too far gone. She wasn't getting any answers tonight. She had noticed Lori's stares at Shane. Her curious glances and silence, but this made all that kind of make sense. She backed out of the room, leaving Rick snoring softly. She paused in front of her room, but stopped before she opened the door. Thinking for a moment, she turned and gently tapped Ian's door, opening it softly and peeking inside. He was in bed, his bare chest uncovered and his arms over his head.

"Ranger Rick get to bed ok?" He asked, sitting up. She nodded and crossed, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Yeah. I'm just done with this whole day, you know?" She put her elbows on her knees, her chin her hand.

"What did you want me to come by for?" She asked, looking over at him with her chin still on her knees.

"I missed our heart to hearts." He pouted childishly, his blue eyes dancing. "I couldn't sleep."

She grinned. "Ah, gotcha. And normally I'd be all up in that, but I've more than a few tonight. I'd probably not wake up." Truth was, Rick's comment had all her attention. Taking some of Ian's little friends would just cloud her over and she had a feeling she needed to be sharp.

"Suit yourself." He said, and grabbed a bottle out of the nightstand. He popped a couple of the pills that were in it and swallowed them quickly. "You're loss. But if you change your mind..."

"You got it." She grinned. "Have fun..." She wiggled her eyebrows at him and kissed his cheek as she left the room. He watched her leave sadly, she never stayed. He settled back on his pillows, his hands behind his back, and tried not the think about the room across the hall.


	13. Revelations and funerals

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

Shane was waiting for her when she entered the room. He had the lights low, only the bedside table lamp on, and he was laying back in bed.

"Didn't give you any trouble?" He asked, pulling the covers back. He was confused when she walked past him without a word and went into the bathroom. He got up and went to the door. She was brushing her teeth and didn't look at him in the mirror. "Hey. What's wrong?"

She rinsed and dabbed her cheek with a towel. She grabbed her brush and started running it through her long blond hair.

"Nothing's wrong. Just curious though, about you." She said, fairly emotionless.

"What about me?" He narrowed his eyes. This didn't feel good. She finished and clicked the bathroom light off as she passed him.

"Was there something with Lori you haven't told me about?" She asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He felt his stomach drop. He lowered his face and ran a hand over the stubble that had begun to grow over his head.

"Yeah. At first. Rick was in a coma when the outbreak happened. Thought he was dead." He came and sat across from her, looking her in the eye. "I got Carl and Lori out of the city with a small group. We had a thing, but it's been over since Rick came back. He woke up in that hospital and got out of the city. He found us."

"Hm. Ok." She said slowly, nodding. "And you were just going to, what? Never mention it? Didn't you think it would be a useful piece of information here? We are all kind of living here together. Is that why you wanted them brought in here? So you could be with her?"

"God, no. I thought I loved her, I was pissed. Had it out with Rick. Hell, we almost killed each other. But I know better now. I never loved her. I want to be with you. Only with you." He was inches from her, trying to take her hands, but she wasn't moving, looking at him warily. She had really started to like this guy. She'd let him into her bed, for God's sake. And now... shit.

"It's not over, Shane. She's pregnant." She said quietly. "Is it yours?"

His head dropped again, his eyes searching the floor for an answer. "I don't know if it is biologically. But no, it's not mine. She's with Rick. That's his baby."

"Just like that?" She narrowed her eyes. "Do you know how she feels about it? Cuz she's not taken her eyes off you since she got here, she's shooting death glares at Rick, and he just spat something out about Lori "not getting over it" or some shit like that. So, sorry, dude. I think you got an issue here you need to deal with."

She wasn't jealous, he could see that, and it was affecting him greatly. She was just pissed. He should have said something, he knew that now. But she might have not let the group in.

"I'm sorry, Trouble. I really am. Things are just so fucked up out there. It happened and God I wish it didn't, but I am sorry now. I love you." It just came out. He almost clapped his hand over his mouth, he was so startled.

Her eyes widened in shock. "You love me?"

"Yeah. I do." It was all he could say. "And it would make me so happy if I thought you loved me back. How can I fix this?"

She looked past him and spoke out loud in an incredulous voice into the room. "I'm stuck in a bunker with zombies constantly trying to get in, I'm taking care of all these people all the time. I just lost a man today, I'm probably a little more drunk than I'd like at the moment, and I've got a guy here with a pregnant ex girlfriend and her husband and kid- in MY home, no less- telling me he loves me. Can this _get_ any weirder?"

He had to give it to her. It was a seriously fucked up situation. He sat there for a minute, staring at his hands. "Do you want me to leave?"

"Shane, I just need to process this. You're going to give me that. You owe me that. But leave? No. I think you know me well enough by now to know that I do what I want. And I like having you around. Since you got here, I've felt better about this whole goddamn thing than in forever."

His heart swelled. She hadn't said she loved him, but it was good enough for him at the moment. She wasn't giving up on him, least not yet. Now he had to deal with the situation. He didn't know how, but he was sure as hell going to try.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed." She said simply, turning the bedside light off and nestling into the comforter, her back to him. He stayed still, unsure if he should go back to the bedroom he had when he first arrived. Suddenly, she rolled over and looked at him. "You gonna lay down or what?"

He smiled and laid down next to her. He didn't touch her, rather, he just let her have her space, but he did lay close enough to feel her warmth, his body facing her. He closed his eyes and sleep came quickly.

T-Dog was in the kitchen when Trouble entered. She had gotten up earlier than Shane, and went to find Sam to talk about burying Tanner. She wasn't in a good mood. T-Dog was rubbing his head, obviously feeling the after effects of all the alcohol.

"You gonna make it there, man?" She asked him quietly as she grabbed a coffee cup and poured herself some from the pot.

"I haven't decided yet." He groaned, and Anna came sweeping up behind him, not quite as cheerfully as she normally was. Everyone was feeling the loss of Tanner.

"Serves you right, young man. Drinking to excess never leads to any good." She fussed with breakfast, and Trouble shot T a smile as she made her way to the kitchen table. Lori was there with Carl, and she shot Trouble a look that only expressed her disdain. Trouble ignored her, and pulled up her chair next to Ian, across from Sam and Dean. She took a bite and chewed slowly.

"We'll head up after breakfast." Dean said softly and everyone knew what he meant.

"Where do we lay him?" Sam kept his eyes on his plate as he spoke, pushing his food around on the plate with his fork. No one really had an appetite.

Ian looked up. "How about that far tree behind the house. The big one."

"It's good. That's it." Trouble said as Shane and Rick came into the kitchen.

Shane plopped down into his chair and Lori watched Rick closely as he came to sit by her.

"Good to finally see you again." She whispered nastily. He set his jaw and grabbed the coffee pot.

"Up late. Didn't want to bother you or Carl." He said simply.

"Mm-hmm. Can I expect this to become a regular thing?" She asked a little louder and Shane glanced over at her.

"I don't believe so. It was a rough day yesterday, Lori. Blew off a little steam, at's all." He was actually talking down to her and she looked back at him resentfully, angrily.

Trouble got up and took her plate to the sink as the rest of the house came to the kitchen for breakfast. "You guys ready to do this? I wanna get it over with." She asked and Sam, Ian, Dean, Shane and Rick got up. Lori put her hand on his arm as Rick got up.

"I don't think you need to go. They have enough help out there." She said in a low voice. Rick shot a look at Shane and Shane shook his head. It was fine. Better for him to stay here. Rick coughed and sat back down, ignoring the looks everyone were giving them.

They headed to the control room and got their guns, the guys pulling camo jackets on over their shirts. Trouble didn't bother, preferring the simple black shirt and jeans she had thrown on earlier. She did, however, grab her bow and arrows, throwing the over her shoulder. If there were any walkers out there, they needed to stay quiet. She glanced up at the monitor at the still redirected camera at the street where Tanner had died. It was quiet and deserted, bodies littering the ground in pieces. She looked down at Warren, who had taken his place at the desk to let them in and out.

"Alarm off like usual, ok?" She said and nodded. She grabbed a couple walkies and gave one to Dean and Shane before she clicked one onto her own waist. Dean reached back into a back closet and grabbed a couple large shovels. No one was speaking as they headed to the surface.

"All clear, Warren?" Dean called out in the lobby upstairs.

"Yes, Dean." Came the response and they saw the gate slide back. They emerged into the bright sunshine, hands coming up to cover eyes as they adjusted. Trouble slid her sunglasses on and slid into the drivers side of the truck holding Tanner's body. No one wanted to look at it, much less ride back there with him. His blood had congealed on the truck bed and he was unrecognizable. Sam threw a sheet he had brought over Tanner's body and slid in beside Trouble in the truck. Shane, Ian, and Dean took the Jeep and they headed over the hill to the tree Ian had mentioned.

It was huge, beautiful, and shady. It was a nice spot. Silently, they got out of the vehicles and Sam and Dean began to dig. Ian, Shane, and Trouble kept lookouts for any movement across the vast field, watching the tree tops sway over the wall beyond. They worked fast, Dean handing his shovel to Shane as they were getting to be finished. Shane took over for him as Dean and Ian wrapped Tanner's body tighter in the sheet and lifted him out of the truck.

No one really knew what to say as they lowered his body in the ground. Sam and Ian immediately began to cover him with the displaced dirt and very soon, they were patting the backs of the shovels down on the ground, making it flat. Trouble went back to the truck and grabbed something she had remembered to bring. Tanner had this little medal he kept in his room, from back when he was in the service, as short a time as it was. She had grabbed it, and now she knelt down, shoving a stick from the ground at the head of Tanner's grave. She hung the medal from it, and sat there a moment, dirty hands on her knees.

"Sorry, Tanner." It was a simple statement, and she wasn't a crier. She did see Sam wipe his eye with the back of his sleeve as they began going back to the cars. Dean and Shane put the shovels in the bed, but this time Trouble got into the passenger side of the Jeep. Ian started it, and Shane slid in the backseat. He saw Ian watching Trouble as they drove back across the field. She had leaned back and was looking out the window, oblivious to either of them. They approached the house, and as they entered the gate into the lobby, Trouble unexpectedly went for the staircases.

"What's wrong?" Shane asked, confused.

"Nothing. Just thought I'd watch up here a while. You guys go ahead."

"I'll stay with you." Shane offered, but she shook her head as she reached the top.

"That's ok. I'll be down in a while."

Ian gave Shane a cocky smile at her refusal and Shane just glared at him.

"Need anything, I'll keep my walkie on, ok?" Dean said, wiping dirt from his hands with his sweaty shirt.

"You got it." She answered, her eyes already behind binoculars, gazing out at the highway and city below.

"Well, I need a shower." Dean said and headed for the elevator.

"We all do." Ian said and he and Sam followed. Shane watched Trouble for a moment longer, but realized she needed some space. He got into the elevator with the guys and the doors slid shut.

"How did it go?" Rick asked as they emerged into the common room. They were filthy, and he gave them a once over as he spoke.

"'Bout as good as it was going to." Shane said, watching Dean, Sam, and Ian head towards the bedrooms. The common room was surprisingly deserted. "What's going on down here?" Shane asked.

"Eh. Anna, Carol, and Maggie are cooking I think. Lori felt sick and laid down. Glenn and Carl are downstairs playing video games. Hershel and Warren are watching the monitors. Daryl decided he needed to get out. Took off while you guys were out."

"He left? Where'd he go?" Shane asked, his brow furrowing.

"Said something about being cooped up like an animal. Actually, Andrea went with him." Rick said, his hands on his hips. "I know. I know. Trouble is not going to like it. I hope she lets 'em back in."

"Yeah, well, there's a lot lately she ain't too happy about." Shane cornered his stance and gave Rick an intense look.

"What happened?" Rick asked, confused.

"That whole thing with Lori, man." Shane said, his voice unnecessarily low, but he was pissed. "That's done. You know that. I made some serious mistakes and I'm sorry. But you said something to Trouble last night. Don't you remember?"

Rick's jaw dropped. "What? I did? I don't remember that at all. She helped me get to bed, that's all."

"Well apparently not. What's this about Lori not getting over it?" Shane asked, his eyes level with Rick's wide ones.

"I said that?" Rick asked softly.

"That's what she said. I had to tell her everything, man, and she is not happy. Lori has been acting real weird since ya'll got here and it ain't helping the situation. You gotta level with me, man. What's the problem?"

Rick moved over and crashed into one of the chairs, putting his head in his hands. "I dunno, man. I just... I don't know if it's the baby messing with her or you leaving. She's angry all the time. Always on me about something." Shane came and sat across from him, listening. Rick looked up at him, lost. "I don't know what she wants anymore. But I don't think it's me. She blames me for everything. I don't know."

"Well, she's gotta get a holda herself. Because things are gonna get even worse around here if she goes off, especially around Trouble. I know what I did screwed things up, but that's why I left. It wasn't my place, with her, or with the group. But I got something good here. Did I make a mistake asking her to bring you in? Is this my payback?" Shane asked, shaking his head in confusion.

"I'll talk to Lori. I'm sorry too. It just all gotten so messed up. But I can't put my son back out there on that road again. Can't do that to Carol, to Glenn or Maggie. None of 'em." Rick said harshly. "We can make it work. Just gotta figure it out. Where is Trouble?"

"Upstairs, inside the lobby. Didn't want to come back down yet. Burying Tanner hit her a little harder than she's admitting right now, I think." Shane leaned back in the chair and sighed, rubbing his bristly cheek.

"She's somethin', ain't she?" Rick tried to get him to smile. "I can see why you're different. You love her, don't you?"

"Man, you gonna get all Oprah on me, here? Come on." Shane actually chuckled.

"She's a badass. I think she might keep you in line." Rick teased halfheartedly. Truthfully, he would always love Lori, but at that moment, with everything going on and all the drama, he'd trade places with Shane in a second. To have that girl, that one who isn't expecting you to make all the decisions or play the hero all the time. The girl who just is, and doesn't care who doesn't like it. And a girl that looks like _that_. God...

"Well, her name certainly fits, lets just say that." Shane leaned back forward and thought. "I'm gonna go talk to Lori. I think she needs to hear this from someone other than you."

Rick pondered it a moment. Maybe Shane was right. They had a bond when he was gone, and she might tell him things she wouldn't say even to Rick. He might be able to reach her. He nodded and Shane got up, heading down for the hallway elevator.

"Good luck." Rick said and saw Shane wave a little. He sat there a moment, thinking. He needed to make this right. He didn't know if it was the smart thing to do, but he turned and went to the elevator that led to the lobby above, sighing deeply as he pressed the button.

Trouble was standing on the balcony and looked down when she saw Rick. She quickly put her binoculars back up to her face and focused on the roadway below as he climbed the stairs to join her.

"Anything out there?" He asked softly, leaning against the railing and watching her. She had pulled her hair up into a knotty bun on the back of her head and it sparkled in the sunlight prettily.

"Couple walkers on the highway." She said, not looking at him. "And, surprise, surprise, looks like some of your people are out there too. Or is that someone else's redneck idiot and friend?" She handed him the binoculars and he peered through them just in time to see Daryl's head pop up from behind a mangled van on the highway and drop a walker a yard or so in front of him. Andrea followed, Rick could see her bob and weave around the cars behind Daryl.

"Yeah, I was going to tell you about that." Rick said apologetically. "See, Daryl doesn't do well with being inside a lot. Can't really stop him when he gets into one of his moods."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "And blondie's excuse?"

"I don't know. We lost someone right before we got here. Dale. He was really... special to her. I don't think she knows how to deal. And maybe doesn't feel like she's doing much here. Not really a place for her."

She turned back to the window, sticking her hands in her pockets. "Well, I guess he's getting rid of the stragglers, and at least he's being quiet about it. But you control your people here, Rick. I'm serious. Any walkers get led here by them and they aren't going to come back in. Got it? I don't like surprises."

He nodded, frowning. "I wanted to talk to you about what I said last night. I just wanted to explain."

"Oh, how Shane has conveniently forgotten to tell me about your groups little soap opera. Cuz, I gotta tell you, that was not a fun way to find out." She looked over at him, eying him intently.

"I know. We're going to take care of it. I'm not going to let this disrupt what you and Shane... whatever it is you two are working out." He looked at her almost desperately and she took a deep breath, softening a little. He was trying here. He had to be going through hell himself and she wasn't making it any better.

"Does she still want Shane?" She asked as gently as she could, and frowned deeper when she saw his face darken.

"I don't think so. I think she's just really confused right now."

"Ok. So where do you stand in this?" She leaned back against the bars. "Can't be fun for you to be here. With all this going on. How are you dealing with it? Not planning on losing it down there, are you?"

"No. What happened is in the past. We all just gotta move on." Rick answered flatly and she studied him a moment.

"Well, what do you want?" She asked and was surprised when his eyes landed on her hard. He was staring at her so strangely it almost took her breath away. He was rugged, tired, handsome, and utterly confused.

"I couldn't answer that right now."

"Look, I feel for you, man. I do, believe it or not. I can't imagine what you are dealin' with. The world changed. People do things they wouldn't normally do, I guess." She scratched at the concrete with the tip of her boot. "But Shane said she chose you. I hope that's true. For your sake as much as mine. Because he says it's over, and I believe him."

"Thank you." He said, and he really meant it. She was a tough cookie, but she obviously had a heart and was willing to use it.

"Don't mention it. And, uh... yeah, you might not want to talk about that whole Shane and me thing either. Ian will lose it, and I don't feel like the drama."

"Were you two...?" Rick began but she cut him off quickly.

"No. Never. But it's not because he doesn't want it to happen. I just never could see it. Anyway, it'll just cause trouble, ok?"

"Yeah. Ok, I won't. So you're telling me no one knows? Because I thought it pretty early on."

"I'm telling you we haven't put out a banner and held a parade." She almost snapped at him. "We haven't talked about it." She said, sinking to a sitting position on the concrete balcony. "Don't think it's going to last much longer though. Don't see how it can."

"People can go a long time not seeing something they don't want to." Rick said, sitting down next to her. "If you can take anybody's word on that, you can take mine."

She looked at him a little confused. "You aren't telling me that was going on with them before..."

He quickly shook his head. "No. But when I got back, I knew something had happened. Somewhere. Took me a long time to come to terms enough to let them know I knew."

"Ah." She seemed relieved, and he wanted to reach out, put an arm around her shoulders. He felt something so strange with this girl and he wondered if this is what Shane had been going through with Lori. Something happening you don't quite understand in the pit of your stomach, and lower. When she had asked him what he had wanted, it was hard not to tell her the truth. He kinda wanted her. At least, Lori to be more like her.

What a strange way to end up, Rick almost laughed. He had fought so hard to find Lori and Carl, and when he found them with Shane, he was so lost and hurt and bitter. But he'd won. Shane had left, Lori had stayed with him, well... if you want to put it like that. And now, here he was, sitting here, having re found Shane and he was checking out one thing, the ONLY thing, that was keeping Shane from still wanting Lori. Watching her dance like she had last night. Her helping him drunkenly fall into bed and his wanting nothing more than for her to lay down too. Perfect. That soap opera thing she had said was perfect, made even more so by the fact that Ian apparently had these feelings for this girl before they ever even met them. My Lord.

"You're people gonna try and get back in here tonight?" She asked him, raising herself off the floor, brushing off the light coating of concrete dust she had on her jeans.

"No tellin'." He said as he stood too.

"They set off the alarm when I'm sleeping and I'm gonna get seriously pissed, you realize that, right?" She picked her gun up and fingered it in a teasingly threatening manner. "At the very least, your ass ain't gonna sleep for a week. I'll stick you on watch duty 24/7."

He chuckled as they descended the stairs.

"Oh, don't test me, cop-boy. I mean what I say. No food. No water. Absolutely no bathroom breaks. You're gonna wish you were out there instead." She babbled as they entered the elevator, and when the doors closed behind them he gave her a friendly elbow in the side. "That's it. You did it now, dude. Lockdown. Possibly tied to the chair."

(Shane and Lori are speaking at the same time Trouble and Rick are on the balcony. These conversations take place simultaneously.)

"Lori?" Shane voiced was unmistakable even through the closed door, and Lori sat up, surprised a little. She had been wondering when they were going to speak. But he was always off with that junior soldier barbie he seemed to have grown so fond of. She smoothed her hair as best she could as Shane ducked his head into her darkened room. She had been laying down, trying to quell the seasickness she had been fighting lately, but more than anything, she had just wanted to be away from that group. That girl.

"He appears." Lori sat up and pulled her covers up under her chest. "Didn't think I'd even get a chance to talk to you again. If you even wanted to."

He stood with his hands on his hips, typical cop fashion, and looked down at her. "Look, bust my balls about takin' off, ok? About my actions before then. I deserve that. But when I don't want to see happen is this to poison what we got goin here."

"Poison? Are you kidding?" She started to get angry but he put up a hand and took a seat on a chair across from her bed. He leaned forward as he spoke, his eyes on hers.

"Now, what we need to do here is figure out where everybody is standing at this moment. Cuz this moment is the one that makes the difference here, whether you decide to accept that or not. Now, the way I see it, I screwed up. And after Rick came back I made no bones about the fact that it pissed me pretty much the hell off. I came after you, begging you to be with me, and when you didn't, it took me to a pretty bad place. Not proud of it. But it also made me realize you was right!" He ended his sentence a little louder than he would have liked, but he was finally getting this out and was feeling right. Lori was just sitting there in her typical wide eyed disbelief that anyone would dare to speak in her presence way that was seriously starting to irritate him, and he knew it was getting to Rick too.

"Rick and Me have come to an understanding. Things have changed. I've changed. Now, we just gotta know where you stand, because honestly, girl, you mope around here giving evil looks to almost everybody. How can we fix this for you? You gotta tell us."

She was furious. She threw the blanket aside and narrowed her eyes at him. "Fix it? You've changed? I don't even know where to start, Shane. You made me care about you more than I even admitted to myself."

"Maybe so, and for that I cannot make it right. But you did choose Rick. You said it, your words. 'My husband, my family, his baby'."

She stewed, knowing he was right, and still wanting to scream at him for it. "Why'd you just leave like that? What the hell did you think we were going to think?"

"I couldn't worry about that just then. Rick and me, well, we was ready to kill each other. Over you. Over Carl, and that baby. You tellin' me you'd want that?"

She looked away, her fist balled up in the blanket. "So, you come here and what? Forget all about us? Move on to that... that child?"

He began to become a little angry. Not just at the disgusted look she was giving him, but at calling Trouble a child. That girl had done more to prove she was an adult than almost anybody he knew.

"Lori, don't go there. You pushed me out of your relationship with Rick, told me it was none of my business. Holds for you too."

"So I'm right? I'm right when I catch you coming out of her room in the mornings, trying to not let the others see you. You try to hide the looks between you. Why you so secret? Afraid I'd find out?"

"See, this is what you do. This isn't about you at all. There were rules in place before I got here and I gotta stick to 'em. I gotta do what's best for the group- for the first time in a long time I'm actually trying to do that. It's what you gotta do. You make your decision that you don't wanna be with Rick, that's gotta be kept down to the two of you, too. Don't go makin' no waves. If you made a mistake, figure out how to deal with it without tearing Rick and Carl apart. Don't matter what we think out there, it's up to you. Now, I'll help you any chance I get. That baby is gonna be born here safe, Hershel, the whole plan still stands but it's better now. And when it _is_ born, that's Rick's baby, Carl's little brother. Just like you said."

"I think it's so funny how you just switched to saying that. "'We'. Weren't our group your 'we'? Weren't we the ones needing protection, loyalty?" She countered.

"Well, hell yes, Lori. My God." Shane stood up and paced in frustration. "You saw how bad I was getting'! Dangerous. Clumsy. Angry all the time. You sayin' that was the loyalty and protection you wanted?"

"You could have been saved. We could have worked it out somehow. You didn't have to just get up and go."

He paused, running a hand over his cheek. "So that's it, then. I get it." He sat back down and stared at her with a renewed interest. "You wanted Rick, the great leader to make all your decisions for you. You wanted me, the bad boy who followed you around like a fuckin' puppy all the time so you'd have someplace to put your blame. And you were set right where you wanted to be, the self-righteous family woman who everybody felt sorry for. That about cover it?"

"Get out." Her tone was shaky and filled with hate. "And you can tell your best friend up there that if he spends one more night up there with those... drunk college kids, he's going to be out of this room."

He moved to the door, putting his hand on the knob but pausing. "You got the best here, Lori. For your family, your kids. You don't gotta worry about a walker strolling in at any minute. You got food, medical care. This is what we were lookin' for! I hope you can realize that before it's too late."

He left before she could say anything else. Shane certainly hoped Rick could make some sense of this woman, because he was starting to have a real bad feeling. Trouble wasn't the type of girl who was going to let Lori take the peace out of her home, and she'd have no problem doing something about it. And then, there was Ian. Intent on getting Trouble for himself. He found out about all of this he'd be only so happy to make sure everyone knew, making it that much harder for Trouble herself. That happened, he'd get kicked out one way or another, either because she didn't trust him around Lori, or because he would kill Ian.

Shane was surprised to see Trouble and Rick sitting in at the coffee table with Dean. They were going over weapons, and Rick was oohing and ahhing over their selection. It was more than impressive.

"Sam is letting Carl beat him at every video game we own. I don't think we'll be seeing them for at least the next 6 months." Trouble was laughing, glancing back at Rick who just nodded and smiled his approval of his son's happiness. Huh. They seemed to be getting along. Didn't know how great he felt about that right now. He was still fighting this guttural, intense sensation that he wanted her all to himself. If she ignored everyone here but him and Anna, he was pretty sure he'd be just fine with that.

"We'll I think we'll be seeing them a little sooner than that." Anna had swept in and was looking over the weapons with a faint anxious look. "Dinner is ready. Everyone up. And get rid of those first. I don't like them laying around with the child here."

"You never like them, Anna-Banna." Dean said, planting a kiss on her cheek. "What'd ya make?"

"Roast beef. Now go. Get this done. Shoo!" She was straight out of a Disney movie sometimes.

Rick spoke up when Trouble and Dean began to pick up the weapons. He had spotted Shane's dark look and wanted to know how it had gone with Lori. "We'll do it, guys. Go eat." He offered and Dean took it up on the spot, diving for the dinner table.

Trouble held her gun, considering it for a moment before looking back up at them. "You two working in pairs now. Huh. Rick comes up to make sure I'm not gonna kick everybody's ass out, so I guess that means you got Lori." She looked over at Shane. She wasn't angry. Not even a little curious, it seemed. "Alright. I'll go get Ian. You guys go gossip. Just come back with news that doesn't make me want to kill you in your sleep."

She said the last part over her shoulder as she walked away and they looked at each other quickly.

"Brr..." Rick shivered as he started to pick up the guns. "You think she meant that?"

"Probably." Shane said, helping.

"Well I hope it went well then." Rick shot a look at Shane as they walked the weapons back to the control room. When he saw Shane's expression, he groaned. "Great. Guess I don't really need sleep."


	14. Ian

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Trouble tapped on Ian's door and opened it slowly. He was coming out of the shower and had wrapped a towel around his waist. They weren't shy, by any means, with each other, but he did seem to swagger a little more with her there in his almost naked glory. He had a great body, no one could dispute that, and he would probably try to smack anybody who tried.

She closed the door behind herself and leaned against it. "Dinner's ready. You going out there like that?"

"Well, you know I could always-" He began but she cut him off.

"Go into your bathroom and throw something on?" She finished for him, eyebrow raised.

He conceded and disappeared into the bathroom, but she could hear him quite clearly. "You know, I could be asking why you didn't excuse yourself when you saw my state of attire if it offends you so much." His voice was heavy with suggestive sarcasm. Typical.

She groaned and fell back into one of his chairs. It was covered in his shirts and she was almost covered by them completely as they toppled over on her. "Last resort, my man. Last resort."

He poked his head out of the bathroom door, his face hurt. "Ouch."

"Why are you always like that, when you know I've got a lot on my mind? Like we're just going to go flying into bed at any moment because one of your carefully constructed statements just makes me all gooey or some shit?" She had rested her head back and was speaking to the ceiling.

"Is it really that bad?" He asked again, this time emerging fully dressed in a black button down shirt and dark jeans. His hair, as usual, picture perfectly mussed and his eyes that same intense blue that even she could say where remarkable. "Do I repel you so?"

"No." She grumbled, taking handfuls of his clothes and pushing them into her face. "I'm just... I dunno. Irritated."

"What? You? Irritated? Say it isn't so." He grinned and sat on the bed.

"Smart ass." She grinned at him, pushing the sleeves and collars away from her face. They smelled like him, cedar and sandlewoody sort of something. "You hungry?"

"Not really." His eyes darkened almost to black and she could see he was still feeling the loss of Tanner more than the rest of them.

"Me either. I just don't want to go out there, you know? But I shouldn't be putting this on you of all people. Come on, let's just go." She stood but he grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"I can imagine there are certain things you could tell me that will piss me off. But I also know that you know you can tell me anything and I'm not going to lose it, or hate you, or cryyyyyy..." More sarcasm.

"Forget it, Ian. If there was ever a time, I think you just did it in." She said, her fingers intertangled with his absently. "I guess I just wanted to know that I never led you on. You put stuff out there but I've never gone on with it. Never gave you the expectation, so to speak?"

His brow furrowed and he let go of her hand, leaning back on the bed, hands under his head, his eyes on her. "Do you drive me crazy with those little outfits you wear? Yeah. Does it make me insane when you drag me in here after I've way too much to drink and strip me? Oh God, yeah. But do I think you do these, or any of the millions other things I haven't mentioned, on purpose? No. I do not think you are intentionally leading me on."

She sat down on the edge of his bed and gave a sigh of relief. "Good. I'm glad. I don't want to do that."

He leaned up to rest on his elbows. "What's got you so worked up, Trouble. Normally, you wouldn't give a shit what me, or anyone else is thinking about you. Is it losing Tanner?"

"Maybe a little. And I still don't care, by the way. It's just, there's this whole thing going on with the new group that's making me a little uncertain if the way I normally react to things will actually be the right thing to do now. And I know that makes completely no sense." She her hand over her face and sighed again.

"I've gotten to know you pretty well, right? And the extremely few times you have managed to actually speak gibberish and be sober means something's up. And since you're here, I can only fathom that you think I might be able to shed some of my classic Ian wisdom on the subject. So talk." He held up his hands suddenly. "And, please. Don't try to do this without just giving me the dignity of trying to pretend there's nothing there between you and Shane. I'm an adult. Just treat me like one, ok?"

She sat back and blanched at him, then threw herself forward into his arms in a bear hug that pinned him back to the bed. He laughed, wrapping his arms back around her.

"Thank you." She said sincerely, sitting back up, but keeping one of his hands in hers. "It just used to be so much simpler. It was just our little group here. We dealt with what went on, but I think we were happy. We were, right?"

"Well, in a context where the rest of the world is blowing up or trying to eat you, then yeah, I'd say pretty happy. But Tanner's death wasn't our fault. One of us was going to go sometime. And another one is going to after that. Sucky as that may be to admit."

"Then there was Shane, and you gotta admit, he's pretty good with the weapons, and the planning. He knows what he's doing."

At that, Ian gave a resentful frown. "Sure. Fine. He's good with the muscle."

"And now, all these people here, and I'm finding out shit I never expected in a million years." She looked overwhelmed and he threw an arm over her, pulling her close and resting his chin on her head.

"Like what?" He asked, flicking his eyes down at her hair. He wasn't sure she'd tell him.

"Doesn't matter. Not really. I told Rick earlier that we all did things now that we might not do before, you know, before everything. Survival is a wicked thing, isn't it?" She looked up at him, turning her mouth up a little.

He gave her a gentle smile. "You know I love you, right?"

"Ian," She started to pull away but he stopped her.

"No, that's not what I meant. I just mean I love you. Sam loves you. Dean, Anna, Warren." She stuck out her bottom lip a little and leaned back against him. She could see what he was trying to say. "You've always got us. Before Shane, before the rest of them, we had each other and that's not going to change. I won't let it, and truthfully, I don't think anyone of us would let it happen. You get me?"

He jostled her a little and she smiled. "That it's up to us to allow these people to bring some serious drama up in here?"

"Bingo. And what happens when people mess with you?" He was being encouraging.

"I maim. Murder. Dismember." She said flatly. He was right.

"And I've seen it. You remember that thug wannabe thing that got on our backs right as we were getting out?" She nodded. "Dude was a foot and half taller than you. Had, what, 75? 100? pounds on you? And what did you do when he got a little grabby?"

She grinned, her eyes on the ceiling. She was playing along because Ian was actually making her feel better. "Well, if I remember correctly, I detatched his balls from his body and left him a very imposing looking soprano."

"That's how I saw it. Girl, you can take care of yourself. All I'm sayin is that Dean, me, Sam, and Tanner would have been all over that guy but you took care of it before we could even reach you. You got back here, babe. Don't forget that. Somebody comes at you wrong, might be interesting to let us get a word in once in a while, that's all. Let's at least pretend we're guys, here. It's kinda emasculating."

She laughed, jabbing him in the stomach. "Oh yeah? Ok, you got a deal, Ian. I'll let you take the next one. I'll be happy to."

He was immediately concerned. "Uh-oh. What's comin'? What did I just get myself into?"

She shrugged devilishly. "Not much. Just a very pissed pregnant woman with enough issues to take a small army. At least, I'm pretty sure that's what you just volunteered for."

He pulled his arm away. "Huh-uh. That one's all yours."

"Can't do that. It's been said and promised." She grinned.

Ian cocked his head. "What's she so pissed about? Aren't we kind of saving her family's life here?"

"Nah, that would open too many cans there, Ian. You'll find out anyway. Doesn't matter if I don't say anything." She shook her head.

"Ooooh, I see. Let Ian comfort you when you're feeling like crap and then leave him hanging." She looked back at his words sadly and he re adjusted his tone. "You know what? I know what we're gonna do. You'll like it. Come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. She started to protest but he shushed his lips, putting his finger there and opened the door. He darted his head out to see if the coast was clear. He kept her close behind him as they inched along the wall past the kitchen and to the elevator.

"Why are we going up?" She whispered and he smiled mischievously.

"You'll see."

And she did. If the thunderstorm the night the new group had come in was a bad one this one was twice as bad, at least, and it was magnificent. Even the thunder echoed louder than it ever had before. The lower security lights gave it a beautiful backdrop, with the brilliant lightening splashing the walls in violent bursts of light.

"Oh, Ian..." She said in wonder, stepping out into the middle of the room. He came to stand beside her, looking up at the wide windows above.

"I had a feeling it was gonna be a good one. Come on." He led her up the stairs to the balcony, and she watched him grab a blanket from the wall and throw it on the ground. They took prime seats to take in the sights, and she pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. Pulling one out and lighting it, she automatically passed it to him. She knew him well enough to know there was no getting past that one.

"This is great, Ian." She grinned, taking a drag of the cigarette he passed back. He leaned back and watched her admire the sky, the look of excitement on her face better payment than any words. Still, there was one question he had to know, and he had to ask it.

"So why is preggo chick crampin' our style?" He murmured, keeping his voice low. He knew they could be heard up here if anyone was listening. "And what does it have to do with Shane?"

She looked at him, seemingly lost for the right words, so he attempted to help further. "I meant what I said down there. I'm going to be jealous, I am. Can't help that. But I can also adjust the asshole attitude if it means making you happy."

She smiled at him then, the smile he always wished she'd give to him. He leaned over and buried her head in his chest, breathing his clean scent in deeply. He was way more to her than she ever wanted to admit, even if she couldn't say she was 'in love' with him.

"Do you love him back?" He asked, his mouth close to her ear.

"I don't know. I really wish I did. But I do feel a certain need for violence when she snaps at him, or even at Rick. Chick is screwed up, Ian. I think she wants 'em both. I don't like seeing people hurt like that, just for the hell of it."

He nodded understandingly, looking out at the storm.

"That's why it had to be you who I talked to about this, you know." She continued, her cheek still against his chest. "I had to know if I'm doing the same thing to you that she's doing to them. Am I?"

"No." He said firmly, and he meant it. "Even as pissed as I can get, as mad as I've ever been, you've never put anything out there to make me think that. You are honest. Annoying and sexy as hell, but honest."

She chuckled at that, watching the storm. They fell into a comfortable silence, letting the darkness in the room cover them and quiet their thoughts.

Shane was getting frustrated. Trouble had been gone a long time, longer than he had experienced since he'd come here, and Ian was with her. Their absence was wildly acute at the dinner table. Lori had also declined to join, but Anna had taken her a plate. There was the usual chatter at the table, but once when he went to get up, Sam shot him a look that made him think maybe it wasn't the best idea. He couldn't help but feel like he was losing Trouble, because of all this shit.

Rick, as well, was feeling Trouble's absence. Lori, he could deal with, surprisingly. Her vicious glares and snipes at him had taken their toll. If Shane was still interested in her, Rick could almost fathom giving him his blessing. Take my wife, please?, Right? But Trouble... Rick was feeling like he was shoving her out of her element with all this drama, and she was going to shove back. It wouldn't be pretty if she did.

After dinner, Rick tried to quell his disturbing thoughts by spending some time with Carl. They actually ended up in the bedroom Lori was hiding in, and for a little while, it was almost normal. She had changed somehow since her conversation with Shane. Was she more accepting of Rick's presence? He didn't know, but it felt a little like relief. When Sam had asked if the three of them would like to watch a movie upstairs, Rick declined for the three of them politely, saying they were tired. Lori actually gave a small smile that he didn't miss.

Shane was another matter entirely. He was almost a mess. He would have been in their bedroom, but it didn't feel right. He wanted to see her when she returned. How she behaved. He sat anxiously in a chair in the common room with Sam and Dean, and T-Dog, the others having kept to their rooms for the evening. The movie played, but he paid no attention, his eyes darting to the elevator frequently. Even Dean seemed to notice, and gave a small cough when he saw Shane do it for the hundredth time. After that, Shane tried to settle down. What was going to happen now was going to happen, that was it. Breathe...

Ding! He almost left his seat, but his nails in the fabric of the chair kept him down. Ian and Trouble came in nonchalantly.

"Oh! Police Academy. Love this one." Ian said casually, grabbing a handful of the popcorn in the bowl on the table and flopping down in a chair. His face was a virtual delight of the obvious state of Shane's distress, and he couldn't help but enjoy that just a little.

Trouble rolled her eyes, smiling softly. "Did Anna leave anything from dinner?" She asked Shane pointedly.

"Uh, yeah. Saved you something, I think." She led the way into the kitchen and out of everyone's earshot.

"You were gone so long, I thought something was wrong." He said, watching her pull a plate of cheese from the fridge and sitting it on the counter.

"Oh, big storm up there. It was great. Shoulda seen it." She said with Ian's careful control and obliviousness.

"Trouble." Shane was getting a little angry. He had no right to, but he was. "What's up?"

She considered him a moment, and put the bite of food down. "What's up is that I've been thinking about a lot of things and I needed some time to deal with it."

"And Ian helped you do that?" He asked reluctantly.

"Yup." She nodded. "I was thinking about something I told Rick. That since things changed, people do things they might not normally even consider. Like you with Lori." She watched his face fall, and she knew it was because he thought she was leading up to saying that he was one of those things to her. She wasn't enjoying his discomfort, but she needed to know this was serious.

"What are you thinkin' now?" He couldn't help but ask.

She came around the counter and stood right in front of him, putting her hands on his forearms. He was clearly confused. "I had to ask Ian if I was doing the same thing to him that Lori is doing to you and Rick. I needed to know if I'd changed, too. And he told me no. He told me that I'd always been honest with him about not feeling the way he felt about me." She threaded her arms through his and encircled his waist, looking up at him with wide green eyes. "So, that means that I can be honest with you too."

He couldn't feel his heart beat. She was confusing him to the point of fraction. "And?"

She reached up and kissed him deeply, putting her hand on the back of his neck and pulling him to her. He responded ferverently, hugging her close to his body. "And..." She whispered close to his ear. "I love you too."

He physically picked her up and swung her around and she tried to keep a squeal from thrusting from her throat. All the worry, the trepidation, the fear, was gone and he felt insane with relief. And lust. Lust bubbled up from the bottom of his feet straight through to the top of his head. He squeezed and caressed her as they kissed, her feet still not on the ground. She slowed him gently, and he lowered her.

"So here's how this is going to work, ok?" She leaned back and looked him in the eye. He nodded, waiting for her to continue. "We're not going all The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music, here. But we don't hide either. Keep Ian's feelings in mind, ok? It wasn't easy for him to say the things he said, and I'm not going to hurt him if I can help it."

He released her and nodded again, almost obediently. He would do anything she asked.

"Lori and Rick are going to have to deal with their problems, because as far as I'm concerned, this is a new place, they are guests here, and you have removed yourself from the situation. You have removed yourself, haven't you?" She eyed him.

"Completely." He said softly.

"Ok. Guess we just have to start with that." She flicked her eyebrows up in a suggestive manner, and he melted. They tried to get back to the bedroom in an nonchalant manner but when Sam started to chuckle, they just banked it, tearing clothes off each other the moment the door was closed. They landed in a pile of writhing arms and legs on the bed, laughing lightly and groaning here and there. When he finally entered her, the world went away.


	15. Close calls

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

And it went that way for a while. Peaceable. The violent memory of Tanner was fading in severity and there was a general feeling of acceptance and kindness in the house. Sure, occasionally the ever increasing in size Lori would lose her temper, or Ian would get snarky, but over all, it was... it was ok.

It was hard to say when the shift happened. It was probably coming for a while, probably since the beginning, but it was impossible to pinpoint. Daryl had taken off a couple months after they had gotten to the house. He just wasn't suited to it, and truthfully, they didn't need him to protect them anymore. They only went to the surface occasionally, when they needed something or were feeling cooped up. Maggie and Glen spent little time with the group. The safety of their new home had given them the time to discover each other in a new way and they did that frequently. Hershel and Warren were the best of friends, spending long hours talking of the old ways. Anna kept herself busy and happy looking after everyone else, like she had always done.

Shane and Trouble weren't the usual couple. They spent time apart in their various pursuits, but they always came back together with a fiery passion that didn't wane with time or regularity. Ian had learned to look past it mostly, and actually had been spending quite a lot of time with Andrea. Perhaps she reminded him of Trouble. She wasn't as pretty, but she had the same tenacity and vigor that he had loved in Trouble. He was becoming happier, and it pleased Trouble immensely to see. Dean and Sam went about their business as usual, so the change had to have begun with Lori and Rick. As she grew into her pregnancy had made her distant to Rick in a different way. She just couldn't fathom how they could exist like this. A marriage in these conditions, especially one that had been tested so much, was a tenuous thing, and though she had all but given up on the possibility that Shane could ever want her again, she just felt the attractiveness to her husband fade. She spent her time in bed resting, taking care of Carl, talking and cooking with Anna, reading. Rick felt it and began to spend less and less time with her as well. Of course, he made sure she had everything she needed, but he would do watch with Sam and Dean, talk to Shane and reminesce. Go to the surface with the others when it was needed. But his role as leader was gone, and his role as husband had been relegated to roommate and houseboy.

It was taking a toll on him. At least he still had Carl, who was thriving in the environment. He would focus on the boy, but he watched Shane and Trouble interact with a growing longing that he could have the same thing. He had that once, he wanted it again. And when that changed from wanting something like it to actually wanting the actual thing, the shift was complete. He began spending his time watching Trouble, full time, but quietly and subtly. She fascinated him. She was so full of life and passion and youth. She was absolutely stunning, and when she would wear a particularly short pair of shorts or when he would watch her hunt, he felt a sick pull in the bottom of his stomach. He was able to be around her a lot without being noticed. Shane was lulled into a sense of safety by the peace in the house and was almost oblivious to everything else. Once, he had walked past their room late at night, on his way to bed, and he had heard them. Shane's deep voice muffled through the door, then her higher moan, a sigh... He could picture her there, on the bed, eyes closed in pleasure, beautiful full lips parted, honey hair spilled out all around her. He was picturing her underneath him, not Shane, and he sprang to life. He physically had to put his hand on the wall to keep himself standing because his legs were trembling so badly. He heard a door shut from somewhere further away in the house and darted to the elevator, barely missing getting caught in such a compromising position.

"Where is everybody?" Rick asked Sam one morning after breakfast. Seemed like the whole house had dispersed in faster than usual fashion. Lori was feeling sick, as usual, and hadn't come out of bed in a few days.

"Doing their thing I guess. I thought Trouble was going to the roof, somebody might be up there with her." Sam said, taking a seat on one of the couches and Rick nodded. He decided to head to the roof to see what was up there that was so interesting. He moved quickly up to the lobby, then up the stairs. Sure enough, the access panel was open and sunlight was streaming through. He made his way up and saw Trouble's blond hair shining in the sunlight. It made him catch his breath. She looked like an angel in aviators.

She was standing with binoculars in her hand, looking out over the ground. He made sure to make some noise, and she looked over at him.

"Hey, what are you doing up here?" he asked as got closer.

"I needed to get out of there. If I don't get a little sun every once in a while I get mean." She said, sighing. "Pretty day. Going to be hot."

"Yeah. Looks like." He said. "Seeing anything?"

"Yeah, saw a deer headed down that way, but it disappeared before I could see where it went."

A movement toward the trees past her head caught his eye and he pointed to her right.. "You see that?" He said.

She ducked down next to Rick at the edge of the roof, looking in the direction he was tuned to and looked through her scope.

"Six of them that I can see. Probably more." She said, still pressed against the scope. "Looks like they got that deer."

"Let me see." He grabbed the rifle and held it up to his eye. Sure enough, two walkers had downed a good size doe and more were headed to share the kill. "We aren't gonna be able to take them out here."

"Warren, tell the guys to suit up and meet me in the lobby." She called down "We got maybe a half dozen or more walkers. Gonna have to get out there, come on." She was down the access panel and in the lobby quickly, Rick behind her. Sam, Dean, Ian, and Shane were coming from the elevator as they got to the gate.

"Six of them, east wall." She informed them as Sam handed her her bow. "Got a deer, so there's more coming."

"The rest of the herd?" Dean asked, double checking his weapon for ammunition.

"Won't know till we get out there." She said as the gate slid open. They took two cars, stopping before the noise of the engines could alert the walkers beyond the wall. Quietly, the six of them got out and approached the wall, and Trouble grabbed a rope ladder nearby and quickly scaled the wall, staying low. The others followed, and Shane moved to her left.

"Damn." Shane whispered. There were more than six now, at least a dozen had fallen on the body of the deer, which was unrecognizable at this point. The trees were alive with the things, but they hadn't drawn attention yet. They stayed low and surveyed the situation. Finally, Trouble grabbed an arrow and strung it, aiming for a nearby walker passing below. She pegged it right in the forehead, and it dropped with a loud thud. The sound caught the attention of two more nearby and they turned their milky eyes toward the six figures on the wall. They growled and moaned, throwing themselves forward with jerking, lurching movements.

"Shit." Ian cursed, bringing up his Glock and firing twice. Quiet didn't matter now, and soon the air was filled with the sounds of gunshots. It didn't take long to realize that, while it may not be a herd, there were certainly many more walkers than they had anticipated. Trouble was moving quickly, stringing arrows and sending them flying, but they didn't make a dent in the wave washing over the forest. She clenched her lips tightly, keeping her eye on a tall corpse headed her way as she restrung another arrow. It's face was half eaten away, but its one good eye was on her as it reached up and tried to climb the wall to get at her. Shane looked down and popped it between the eyes, and she glanced over at him in appreciation.

"Motherfucker! Ian!" Dean shouted and Ian turned to see a walker scaling the bodies at the foot of the wall and climbing up. He was nearest and he aimed, taking it down. It flopped and tumbled onto the bodies it had used for leverage. Unfortunately, it only gave the other walkers a good stepping stool, and they followed its climb up the wall. Shane was so focused on the sea of arms and hands stretched out below him that he didn't realize two were over the wall until he heard Trouble shout out in anger and alarm. It sent his heart racing to see a pair of hands grab her ankle and yank, taking her down on the wall.

"Trouble!" He yelled, reaching for her blindly. She kicked the walker that had grabbed her in the face, sending it backwards violently. She reached up and grabbed Shane's hand, letting him pull her to her feet. Her bow had gone flying when she was knocked off balance and was now lying on the grass between the walkers' feet. She reached for her sidearm, but it wasn't there. She hadn't been prepared for this, and no one had thought to bring one for her. She was unarmed, and there were walkers everywhere around her.

"Shane!" She cried out as another pair of hands got close, swiping at her feet. He was staring at her in shock. She was looking around herself, panicked, weaponless. He aimed and started firing at anything that came close to her, trying to keep them at bay as best he could. His gun emptied and he blindly reached for another clip at his waist, snapping it into place as fast as he could manage. Rick had taken up his slack in the meantime, seeing the predicament Trouble was in. His senses reeled at the danger all around her and he felt himself kick into autopilot.

He turned around and fired at the walkers that had made it over the wall. They fell to the ground as he hopped down off the wall and moved below Trouble, firing at two more that were climbing over.

"Get down here!" He yelled to her and she crouched, coming down off the wall and landing on the grass lightly. She moved behind him and grabbed the back of his shirt tightly, keeping covered as more came over the wall.

"There's a gun in the car!" She yelled, pointing to the Jeep parked a yard or two away. He shielded her best he could and they backed up together, moving toward the vehicle. Rick had come down off the wall, too, getting the walkers that were coming over. His back was to them, but he was backing up to get closer.

"Get her out of here!" He called back to Rick, who took the short reprieve to turn around and run with Trouble to the Jeep. She threw herself into the passenger seat and he into the drivers, slamming the doors behind them. He saw her reach under the seat and she pulled out a Glock, popping out the magazine and checking the ammo.

"I'm good." She gasped, jamming it back in with the palm of her hand. She looked back up just in time to see Sam fall back from the wall, tumbling to the grass below in front of them. "Sam!" She screamed, watching a walker that had gotten over the wall fall over him unceremoniously. He fought it back, firing up into its face. It flew back and landed on the grass and she was opening the door when she felt it slam back against her arm, the glass shattering over her lap. A walker had hit it hard on her side and was reaching in, snarling and spitting, trying to get at her. She scurried back against Rick, ending up on his lap in the seat as she put her arm out in front of her and fired, hitting the walker in the left eye. It slumped over the door, unmoving.

"Where's Shane?" She blurted, still on Rick's lap and looking around frantically.

"You're hurt." Rick had circled her waist when she had landed on top of him, and he realized his hand was slick with blood. Fresh blood. He grabbed her arm and held it up, seeing a long and jagged gash on her forearm, and more blood poured over his fingers. She must have cut it when the window broke, but she didn't seem to feel it. She was still looking around for the rest of the team, for Shane, when his door opened suddenly. She had been leaning so far back against him and it that she tumbled back when it gave way, and found herself looking up into Shane's sweat and blood streaked face.

He looked like every ounce of sanity was gone when he saw her, blood flowing out over her arm and down her front freely. "She wasn't bitten." He said, knowing what Shane was thinking. He saw the man let out a breath just as he was sent forward into Rick and Trouble by a walker that had come up behind him. Trouble was shoved forward violently and Shane kicked backward, shoving the walker away from him just as the passenger door flew open and Ian reached in, grabbing Trouble right out of Rick's grasp. Dean had come up from the other side and fired at the walker on Shane's back, dropping it where it stood.

"Are there more?" She was asking as Ian pulled his shirt off and wrapped it around her arm tightly.

"Not yet. We gotta get you and Sam inside." He said quickly, holding her arm in one hand and wrapping her tightly with his other. Almost picking her up, he rushed her to the other car, fighting her as she struggled to see the others. "They're coming. We need to go."

"More are coming over!" Dean was yelling as he threw himself into the drivers seat of the car Ian and Trouble had gotten to. "Go!"

Ian got into the backseat of the car with her, pulling her into his lap and holding her arm firmly. He had seen Shane and Rick get Sam, who was nearly unconcious, into the backseat of the first car, and they were driving fast back over the hill just as more walkers came pouring over the wall in a new attack. They raced to the house, pulling up with screeches of tires, and Shane and Rick grabbed Sam, Shane throwing him over his shoulder and getting him to the gate just as it was sliding open for them. Ian picked Trouble up too and followed, Dean and Rick keeping them covered as they got inside. They were firing back at the walkers that were appearing now over the hill, and the last thing they saw was the yard alive with the things as they slammed the door shut behind the gate.

"Get them downstairs! We'll go up to the roof." Dean was saying as Ian rushed her to the elevator, Shane with them and still carrying Sam.

"Was he bitten?" She asked frantically as the elevator began moving down.

"No. Fell pretty good, though." Ian answered, readjusting his grip on her arm, trying to still the flow of blood that was quickly soaking his shirt and coating his hand. She took a deep breath and he could tell she was feeling the blood loss despite the adrenaline rushing through her. She slumped against him as the elevator stopped and he picked her up off the ground, meeting a worried Hershel in the common room. "I got her. It's ok." He said, looking back at Shane, who had gone completely pale when she passed out. He knew the worry the man was feeling. He was feeling it now.

"She's lost a lot of blood." Hershel said, going to Ian first. "What happened to him?" He said, looking over at Shane and Sam.

"Fell off the wall. He wasn't bitten. Neither one of them were." Shane almost gasped the words. He rushed Sam to the couch and dropped him onto it, wanting nothing more than to go to her.

"Good. Keep him concious, Shane. Ian, you bring her back here." Hershel ordered, the doctor in him taking over. Anna and Warren followed his orders quickly for supplies and Ian followed him to the table in the far corner of the room. The rest of the house had gathered, and were watching the melee with worried, panicked gazes.

"Put her down." Hershel ordered and Ian carefully laid Trouble on the table, holding her head gently as he did so. Hershel carefully removed the shirt and inspected the wound, frowning when a new gush flowed out and over his hands as he did so. "We need to stitch this, and she's going to need blood. She's lost too much. Does anyone know her type?"

"A positive." Sam mumbled and Shane looked down at him, eyes wide.

"She's A positive!" He shouted a bit too loudly, and Hershel nodded. "So is Rick. Where is he?"

"The roof." Ian said, looking down into Trouble's sleeping face. It was streaked with blood and was unnaturally pale, and he felt sick. If anything happened to her...

"Get him, Ian. Go." Hershel had to speak sharply to get the young man's attention. Ian looked up at him blankly, not understanding at first, but then snapped to and nodded, rushing away to the elevator as fast as his legs would carry him. The elevator had never moved so slowly, and he got to the roof at a dead sprint when it stopped.

Dean and Rick were firing at the growing mass of walkers on the ground outside the house. Andrea, and T-Dog had gone up to help, each taking a spot on the edge of the roof. "Rick!" He shouted as he neared them, over the sounds of gunshots.

Rick turned, his face a mask of panic and shock. "Is she ok?"

"She needs blood. You gotta go." Ian grabbed his rifle and took his place. "Now! Go!" He yelled and turned, firing in Rick's place. Rick darted toward the access panel and practically threw himself down it, rushing down the stairs and to the elevator. The scene he saw as he re entered the common room was nothing short of organized chaos. Sam was on the couch, Anna and Warren over him. Maggie was attending to Hershel as he worked over Trouble, needle and thread in hand. The gash on her arm was mostly closed now, and Shane was rubbing her face tenderly, trying to get her to wake up. The table was covered in her blood, and it was streaked over the people working on her and dripping onto the floor.

"Maggie, get Rick prepped for a transfusion." Hershel said calmly, and Maggie left his side, pushing Rick into a nearby chair and rubbing the inside of his right elbow with alcohol. He didn't even feel the needle she pushed into his arm, seeing only Trouble lying motionless on the table. "Anna, I need you to come here, please." Hershel finished the stitches and directed Anna on how to help him. He moved quickly for his age, and soon had Trouble and Rick both hooked up to tubes and bags being held by Carol and Maggie.

"We have to put it directly in her from Rick. We don't have time for anything else." He said, standing back and watching as dark red flowed from Rick and into Trouble's arm. He made sure it was flowing and went to check on Sam.

Shane looked up at Rick, who was watching Trouble closely, his face drawn and worried. "Thank you." He said, nodding.

"She'll be ok." Rick said, unsure if he was trying to convince himself or Shane. He shouldn't be thanked for this. There was nothing he wouldn't do for this girl, he had fallen hard for her, the same as Shane. And if he knew, he'd kill Rick.

Rick sighed and ran a hand over his face, stopping as he reached his mouth, and breathed into his palm. He felt the blood flow out of his arm and watched as it entered the spot on her arm where the needle had pierced her flesh. The others had moved away, unsure of how or what to do, leaving the three of them there at the table, silent.

Sam was going to be ok. He had a concussion, but he was awake and was sitting in a chair by Trouble, watching quietly, his face drawn. Ian and Dean had come down from the roof as soon as the walkers were manageable by just Glen and T-Dog, ignoring their blood and sweat stained selves in favor of standing like statues over her form. The whole thing looked like something out of a movie. The five men so silent, brimming with anxiety and tension, and it hung so heavy over everything even Lori didn't approach them when she made her way upstairs to see the commotion. He saw her watching from the corner of the room, her belly full in front of her, but she quietly ushered Carl away soon after.

Eventually, Hershel gave the ok to move Rick and Trouble into her bedroom, keeping them connected. He gave her Rick's blood in spurts, constantly checking her progress, and making sure Rick wasn't being harmed by the process. His exhaustion was tripled by the loss of blood, and when he became a little woozy Hershel had instructed him to lay on the bed next to her. It was mildly uncomfortable at first for him, laying there next to her with everyone rushing around. Shane was glued to her side, holding her hand and stroking her face lovingly. He remained that way for hours, eventually falling into a fitful, exhausted sleep, his head against her side. Dean was laying across the foot of her bed and had fallen asleep too, they were all spent. Sam stayed awake in a chair, his eyes leveled on her chest, rising and falling slowly, like if he could just watch her breath he knew everything would be alright.

She opened her eyes, narrowing them a little in the dim light of the quiet bedroom. She let out a confused breath, looking down and seeing the needle in her arm. Her eyes followed the tube and when they landed on Rick, lying on the other side of the bed, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Rick?" Her voice was quiet, weak.

"Hey, you're awake. You got cut pretty bad. Needed blood. I had some extra." He smiled gently, feeling Sam move quickly up beside them.

"Sam?" She said, remembering the scene at the wall, and looking up at him with wide eyes. He grinned down at her and pushed her hair back off her face.

"Hey, girl. Bought time. Concussion, but I'm gonna be fine." He reassured her. She looked relieved, and looked down to see Shane sleeping at her side, still sitting up in his chair by her bed.

"Is he ok? Are you ok?" She seemed to be getting frantic again and Rick grabbed her hand in his, trying to calm her down.

"Everybody is ok. Just try to rest." He said soothingly, and felt her fingers curl around his palm. He squeezed her hand gently, as Shane and Dean began to stir at the voices.

"I'll get Hershel." Dean said, seeing her awake, and he quickly left the room.

"Trouble?" Shane's voice was sleepy, raising his head and she looked down at him, but he brightened when he saw her open eyes. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"I'm ok. Sore. How long have I been out?" She asked as Hershel entered the room, flanked by Shane and Maggie. They all looked exhausted.

"A day and a half. How do you feel?" Hershel asked as he checked her eyes, then her pulse.

"Fine. Tired." She said, letting him work.

"You should be. I've never seen anybody lose that much blood so fast." Maggie said from behind her father.

"I think we can stop this for now. Give Rick some time to rest. But we might need to do this one more time. You were almost gone there, young lady."

"I'm sure it wasn't as bad as all that." She said dismissively, and Hershel clucked under his breath.

"I didn't want to worry the others but you're pulse was weaker than I've ever seen in someone who wasn't in the hospital, and even most of them wouldn't make it." Hershel unhooked Rick from his tubing. He sat up and rubbed his arm, feeling almost disappointed with his connection to Trouble being broken. He was ok with being drained dry if that was what it took.

"You should get some rest, Rick. You're gonna need it." Maggie said, feeling his forehead.

Ian had come to the doorway as Maggie and Hershel left. "Welcome back." He came and knelt down next to Shane.

She smiled. "Hey. Sorry I ruined your shirt."

"Gotta buy me a new one. That was Dolce." He said seriously and she chuckled.

"You really should get some rest, Rick. You look beat." Shane said, frowning. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little jealous it was Rick that had saved her life, but he was grateful nonetheless.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna crash in the room up here in case you need me." Rick said, standing slowly. It was true, he was exhausted. "See you in a little bit."

"Bye. Thanks." She said as he left the room. She looked back at Shane and squeezed his hand, smiling. "So what's the deal outside? The walkers got in."

"T-Dog and Glen are on the roof taking care of the last of them. But they can't get in the house. We're ok." Dean assured her.

"Sure, for now. What happens when we need to get out?" She sat up quickly and the room spun before her. Shane saw her sway and reached out to support her.

"Don't worry about that now." Shane said. "You need to rest."

"It was bound to happen sooner or later. We'll take care of it." Ian said almost flippantly and she sighed, looking at him. Leave it to Ian to push this off as something not potentially devastating.

She set her jaw and shook her head, looking off to the far wall. "Fine. But somebody stays up there all the time now. And in the morning, we're going to figure this out."

It didn't take her long to fall asleep when everyone left and Shane turned off the light, curling up next to her in the bed and wrapping his big arms around her. He was sleeping almost as fast, his light snoring an indicator of just how tired he was. How they all were. When Hershel came and checked on her a few hours later, he didn't even wake up.

"I think we should do another transfusion, just to be safe." Hershel announced at first light, as he shuffled around the darkened bedroom, checking on her. "Maggie, can you get Rick? Shane, why don't you go get some sleep in another room for now." He said as Shane stirred and looked up at him. He blinked down at Trouble.

"No, I can stay." He yawned, and Trouble shook her head.

"Go, Shane. It's ok. You need to sleep." She assured him and he nodded slowly, getting up and passing Rick as he entered with Maggie. He looked back at her again, and she smiled at him. He gave one back and shut the door behind him.

Rick approached the bed and Maggie smoothed the bed covers down for him, gesturing for him to take the place next to Trouble again. She quickly and smoothly had the needle back in his arm, Hershel taking care of Trouble, and soon, the red had filled the tube again and they left the two of them there to rest.

Trouble shifted as best she could, taking care not to move the arm too much, and ended up snuggled up under the covers and facing him. She looked down at the needle and back up at him.

"Thanks, Rick." She said, yawning.

He put his free arm under his head and looked down at her peacefully. "It's my pleasure, ma'am. Least I could do."

"I don't mean this. Well, I do, but I meant for what you did out there. You saved my life." Her voice was heavy, remembering the field, her lack of a weapon, and him jumping down of the wall and right into the walkers' way to shield her.

He bit his cheek, shaking his head. "Don't thank me, Trouble. I did what you would have done."

"You could have been killed."

"If I hadn't, someone else would have. Doesn't make a difference who." He said simply, not knowing any other answer really. "Besides, if something happened to you, Shane would kill us all. Call it self preservation." He gave her a sideways grin and she smiled back.

"Wouldn't self preservation cause you _not_ to jump right into a field full of walkers?" She quipped.

"You've never seen Shane mad, have you?" He scrunched up his eyebrows at her and she laughed.

"You really should be more scared of me. Shane's got nothing compared."

"Oh, I am." He nodded quickly and she punched him lightly in the chest with her free arm. He reached up and grabbed her hand, squeezing it in his gently. She looked a little taken aback but didn't pull away. "I'm grateful for everything you've done. You didn't have to bring us in here, and I know it hasn't been easy."

"It's been interesting. No shortage of excitement." She said with a smile, looking up into his handsome face. Pale or not, he'd gained a little needed weight since he'd been there, and it made him look younger, stronger. The stress and panic he'd carried in his eyes in the beginning had faded to a dull shadow of what it was, and she could see the man he'd maybe used to be, before all this. He hadn't let go of her hand, and she felt something in her stomach flutter a little. She cleared her throat softly, pulling her hand away and rolling back over so she was a little farther away from him. Not going there, not letting that train of thought continue, she said to herself. Dangerous...

He noticed her hesitation and looked away uncomfortably. He was too close to letting his feelings show, and it wasn't the time. Luckily, Hershel came in just then to check on them.

"Rick, how are you feeling?" The older man asked and Rick nodded.

"Fine. I'm good."

"And you, young lady?" Hershel turned her attention to her.

"Better, thanks." She answered.

"Ok, then. Another few minutes and I think we'll be done here." He said, leaving the room again. Trouble looked over at Rick, biting her lip.

"I guess you're off the hook." She said as lightly as she could.

"You've got a lot of my blood now. Don't be surprised if you start thinkin' like a cop. Or craving cheeseburgers." He joked, breaking the tension that had built. She seemed relieved.

"I already do that. At least I think I do." She said.

"Yeah, the cop part I see. Anybody that can tell Shane what to do would make a hell of an officer." He grinned.

"Yeah." She laughed. "Don't know about that. Pretty sure I'm more of the arrested than the arrestee."

"Oh yeah? Think so?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Don't get me started." She said with a vague smile, looking off into the distance. Rick didn't have a chance to respond because Hershel came back to disconnect them. He sat up and rubbed at the spot on his arm, watching the doctor bandage Trouble up.

"You should get some food. I'll have Anna bring you something." Hershel said as he finished.

"No, I want to come out. I'm tired of laying down." She shook her head and sat up.

Hershel looked at her closely, but conceded. "Ok, just move slowly. You're going to be dizzy."

"I'll help her." Rick offered and Hershel nodded. Rick stood slowly, fighting his own dizziness, but it passed quickly and he came around and helped Trouble push the covers off her legs.

"I'm going to change. I'll be ok." She assured him and moved to the bathroom slowly. He waited patiently and she emerged a moment later in black yoga pants and a cut off tee shirt, her hair up in a ponytail.

She hadn't realized it was breakfast time. The kitchen wasn't as busy as usual, with Dean and Sam sleeping still. Warren was in the control room, and T-Dog and Dean had taken watch on the roof. Lori was, however, out of her bedroom and had taken a place between Carol and Carl at the end of the table. She eyed them closely as they entered the kitchen.

Trouble was shocked when Lori spoke. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks." Trouble answered, taking her place next to Ian and letting Anna put a plate in front of her. She was starving and took two quick bites. "How are you?"

"Getting bigger everyday. But the morning sickness seems to be passing." Lori answered, taking a bite of toast.

"Gotta be happy about that." Trouble didn't know where this was going, but there was no sense in pissing the woman off. This was more than Lori had ever said to her the whole time they had been there.

"Yeah. It's good." Lori looked at Rick, who had taken a place near her. He took a drink of his coffee and gave her a nod. Strange, he thought. Even stranger was the fact that Lori didn't go right back to her room after breakfast, and instead came to sit across from Trouble in the common room, who had curled up with a blanket on the couches instead of going back to the solitude of her room.

"I never thanked you for helping us, Trouble." She began, a little uncertainly. They were alone, but Rick had paused in the kitchen door, watching them talk. "I'm sorry for that."

Trouble looked at her warily. "It's ok."

Lori looked down at her belly, running a hand over it thoughtfully. "Shane's changed a lot. I guess we should be thanking you for that."

Ah, there it was... Trouble thought.

"I'm sorry?" She said, cocking her head.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew that Rick has responsibilities that Shane doesn't have anymore. That Carl and I need him. I would ask that you not encourage him to participate in the... in the goings on you have going on here." Lori said tightly.

"I don't think I get your meaning." Trouble said, her voice on edge.

"The drinking. The late night parties. You and your friends are young. You don't know what it means to have a husband. Children. We depend on Rick, and I don't want him being led into God knows what situation like you had today because you weren't thinking straight. I saw what happened. How he came off that wall, how was just in there giving you his blood! What more do you want? You already got Shane, isn't that enough."

Trouble sat up and was about to lay into Lori when Rick and Shane came in from opposite directions. They had both heard Lori and Shane was shaking with fury.

"What the hell did you just say?" He said, his voice dark with rage. Lori actually looked a little startled when she saw his face. "Say it again, Lori. To me."

Rick spoke up fast, angry himself. "That was completely out of line, Lori. She almost died less than two days ago."

"Really? You both want to jump in here? Because I haven't seen you for more than ten minutes at a time in weeks, Rick. You're always with them. And you, Shane. You don't care what happens to any of us anymore." Lori had stood and had faced them, her back to Trouble.

Trouble had had enough. Fighting her dizziness, she stood up and leveled her eyes at Lori, who turned when she saw Rick and Shane's eyes look past her. "If you weren't pregnant, lady, you're ass would be on the ground right now. I want you to believe that." Her voice was shockingly steady, and the killer had come back out in her. What stood there before Lori wasn't Trouble. It was dangerous, and it wanted blood. "If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of my sight. Stay in your room. And thank your husband for being a fucking saint, because he's the only reason I'm not feeding you to the walkers right now myself."

Lori looked at her with wide eyes, realizing she had just poked the beast with a big stick and she didn't have anything to back it up with. She turned and looked to Shane and Rick for back up, but Shane's face was a mask of anger and disgust.

"Go. Now." He said and Rick went to the elevator and pushed the button, holding the door open for her. She silently went in, feeling their eyes on her.

"I'll be down in a minute." Rick said coldly.

"Don't bother." She bit back and the doors slid shut behind her. He stood there a moment, almost afraid to turn around and look at Trouble.

Shane was still trembling with anger when he put a hand on Trouble's arm. She had frozen into place when she had spoken, and hadn't moved. Her face was cold and distant, and she didn't show any sign she even knew they were there for a moment. Finally, she turned and looked at Rick.

"She isn't welcome up here again, Rick. I don't want to lay eyes on her, or I'll take her to the surface myself."

"I'll take care of it." He said and watched her pass Shane and head back to her room. Shane looked at him in horror.

"What the fuck was that?" He asked and Rick shook his head.

"I have no idea." He said, shaking his head. "I thought Trouble was going to kill her."

"She almost did. You better reel Lori in, man. I'm not going to be able to stop her if she wants her out." Shane ran his hand over his head, rubbing his scalp hard. His heart was racing in his chest. That girl could be truly scary. Lori had no idea how close she had just come to being out on her ass.

"I should talk to her." Rick said, looking in the direction Trouble had gone.

"Not a good idea. I've never seen her like that." Shane shook his head and Rick put his hands on his hips, breathing in deeply.

"Ok." He said, and went to the kitchen to talk to Anna. Shane stood there, his anger racing to his chest, making it tight and painful. Un-fucking-believable.


	16. Light 'em up

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Trouble didn't acknowledge Lori's existence in the house after that, and as soon as she was able, she was on the roof with the others doing watch. The walkers had slowed to one or two in the field occasionally, and soon, they were able to turn the alarm on again, only going up there when it went off. Rick had moved permanently into the bedroom in the upstairs hallway, and most nights Carl stayed up there with him.

The pounding on his door in the early morning hours a week or so later startled him awake, and Carol rushed into the room.

"It's Lori. She's in labor." Carol spoke frantically, rushing him out of bed.

"It's too soon." Rick said, not answering.

"I don't know. Something's wrong. Hershel is with her now." He raced past her and to the elevator, running down the hall and bursting into Lori's room. Hershel was listening to Lori's heart, his face drawn with concern. She was breathing heavily, sweat streaming down her face, and her eyes were closed. Hershel saw him and took him out into the hallway.

"It's the baby, Rick. It was probably stress, but the baby didn't make it. Looks like it's been gone a while, an infection had set up in Lori's system, and we can't treat it." Hershel spoke slowly and clearly, trying to get Rick to understand.

"Is she gonna be ok?" He asked, trying not to hear what Hershel was saying. Even after all this, she was still Carl's mother. The woman he had loved.

"No, Rick. She doesn't have long." Hershel shook his head and put a hand on Rick's shoulder. "I think you should be with her."

Rick nodded silently, moving on auto pilot past him and into the room. He knelt down next to Lori on the bed and watched her labored breathing. He took her hand and held it tightly, pushing the hair away from her sweat streaked face.

"Lori? Can you hear me?" He said, trying to get her to respond.

Her eyes opened a little and flicked towards him. "Rick. The baby didn't make it." She said in rushed gasps.

"I know. Just relax. It's gonna be ok, Lori. Breath." He said as calmly as he could. He felt the world around him break apart, and all he could see was her face. Her eyes closed again as she passed out, and he stayed there with her as her breathing slowed and finally stopped.

The funeral was brief and small, and had to be held with lookouts. They buried her next to Tanner under the big tree. T-Dog, Dean, and Sam taking care of the digging and filling in of the grave for Rick. Of course, the threat of walkers meant Carol and Carl didn't come out. It couldn't be helped. The next few days found a relative quiet over the house, Carl's sobs being the only thing piercing the darkness late at night. Rick stayed with him religiously for a while, and they didn't see much of him. So Trouble was mildly surprised when the knock came on her bedroom door a few days later, and Rick's head popped through.

"Hey." She smiled, glad to see him. "How's Carl?"

"Sam and Dean are playing video games with him. You busy?" He came in slowly, uncertainly. Lori's death had filled him with guilt over the last few months. The slow unraveling of their marriage, and the bitterness that had filled his life. His secret thoughts of Trouble.

"No. Come in." She had been cleaning her guns and pushed the parts away so he could sit on the bed. She looked at him sadly as he sat down. "I'm sorry, Rick."

He looked at her with heavy lidded eyes. "Me too. This has been so messed up. So fucked up."

"Can I do anything? Do you need anything?" She asked.

He shook his head and searched the room with his eyes. "No. I just wanted... I don't know. I know there were problems but I don't know what to do for Carl, you know?"

She reached out her arms and wrapped them around his neck from his right side. He put his hand on her arm and turned his head so it was buried in her hair. His body shook with a ragged breath and she held on tightly, letting him just be for a moment. "It probably doesn't feel like it, but you guys are gonna be ok." She said, her face against the back of his neck. He felt a rise of warmth come out of his stomach and his grip on her arm tightened. She pulled back a little and found he was nose to nose with her, his blue ones searching her green ones for answers she didn't have. He leaned in a little and just before contact she pulled back suddenly.

"Rick, listen-" She began but he cut her off.

"I'm sorry, Trouble. I don't know what I'm doing most of the time now." He looked slightly panicked, but came after her on the bed as she scooted away.

"I think you need some rest." She darted to the door, yanking it open and standing back. He looked devastated, his face a mask of such sorrow and pain that she took a deep breath and closed it again. "Rick, stop and think about this for a minute. Everything that's gone on, everything you have been through, what do you think Shane would do if he knew about this?"

He paused and his tired eyes seemed to widen a little. "You're right."

She sighed. "Ok, good. There you go. Now," She walked over to her nightstand and got a bottle out. She shook a couple valium out into her hand and brought it back to him."Take these and go get some sleep. You _need_ to sleep."

He took them from her and popped them into his mouth, swallowing hard. "I'm sorry." He said, bringing his eyes back down to hers. "I really am. For everything."

"You saved my life. I won't forget that." She smiled at him tentatively. She remembered the way he had jumped down from that wall and shielded her with no regard for himself. The man who had given her so much blood it had made him sick, and he did it willingly. She looked up into his eyes, wishing she knew how to still his pain.

He reached for the door and gave her one last small apologetic smile before disappearing through it. She stood there and leaned against the door frame for a minute, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. If Shane knew... She sighed and went back to her bed, curling up into the covers and thought about what she was going to do.

We need to go out. Get back to work." Trouble said at breakfast a couple days later. They had gotten lazy with everything that happened over the last couple months. It wouldn't do. This place didn't even look a thing like it did when she ran it, before Rick and Shane came along.

The rest of the table paused at her words. She felt eyes on her but more had drifted to their plates. Finally, Dean spoke.

"Yeah. She's right."

She continued. "We need to prep for winter, finish the cleanup. Get those cars back." She was disgusted they had let it all go so far.

"I want to check the camera at the gap. The signal has been sketchy lately, and I know more of those mines have gone off." Sam said, taking a bite of his toast.

"After breakfast. We meet in the control room." She said and people nodded quietly. She looked up and saw Shane staring at her intensely. She gave herself a silent head slap for dropping her eyes. Lord, she was still so shaken with Rick's almost-confession that she had been neglecting him.

"What is up with you, babe?" He followed her to the bedroom after breakfast, and shut the door behind himself. "I'm getting worried about you."

She stood at the bathroom sink, brushing her hair. She looked back at him through the mirror and he came to stand close behind her, running a stubley chin across the sensative skin on the back of her neck. She smiled and tilted forward, letting him kiss as he pleased. It felt wonderful and she soon turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"So, you gonna tell me what's been eating you?" He said after a while. It just felt so good to hold her close, feel that steady heartbeat under his fingers. She had been so distant, and he had noticed that Rick, too, had excluded himself from the house in a major way. He would be there for a chore, but the little parties, most meals, he stayed and slept in his room. It was giving Shane a serious case of the willies.

She frowned as she looked up into his face and ran her hands over his head, feeling the hair he was allowing to grow there. It looked good. "So much has gone down, Shane. I think we're all a little off."

"Yeah, but can feel it." He pressed a big hand to her chest, above her heart. "I promised I wouldn't let you get hurt and I've completely screwed that up. You've almost been killed twice, and Tanner. I'm so sorry."

He looked so sad and she reached up and put her lips gently against his. She felt his hands tighten on here, but he was trying to hold back. His lips remained gentle against here and didn't push.

"You have to stop thinking that you're going to be able to save me from everything. It's going to drive you crazy." She said, leaning back and resting her head on his chest.

He rubbed the hair off her shoulder and traced lines across her back. "I can't help it. I love you."

"I love you, too. And right now we have to get back out there." She released him and went to grab her clothes. She was going to get her favorite black pants and shirt, but she hesitated. It was tight, showed cleavage. Why antagonize Rick or Ian? Why did she wear some of the things she did? She grabbed a pair of jeans and a simple blue tank top instead. She twisted her hair into a messy bun brushed teeth while Shane finished getting ready.

He picked her up into his arms one more time before they left the room. "No taking chances today. Promise me." He said firmly, looking into her eyes.

"Promise." She kissed him deeply and felt his body go harder under her. She smiled and wriggled out of his grip.

"God, I wish you wouldn't do that." He groaned as he followed her laughter down the hall. "Why do you get such joy from my pain?"

Most of the others were already in the control room. T-Dog, and Ian were loading up on ammo as Sam inspected the angles on the cameras. When Trouble came in, Sam grinned at her.

"I think it's just a mounting problem. I can fix it in a minute."

"Do you think we still need it? Really?" She asked as she and Shane started pulling weapons off the wall.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "There are still some mines left and it might be good to see from the south."

"Ok then. We can do that and bring the cars in at the same time." She stuck a Glock in the holster on her hip and glanced up just in time to see Rick come in. She was startled to see him, She hadn't interacted with him since the thing in her room. He'd stayed away so much that people were starting to whisper. Luckily, it was just thought to be about Lori and the baby.

"Hey." He said casually, grabbing a gun and sticking it in his waistband.

"Hey." She said, putting her knife in the holder on her thigh. He didn't look at her but for a second, and she was glad because Shane, she knew, was watching him.

"Hey man. You comin out?" Shane asked.

"Thought I might." Rick nodded at him as he grabbed a couple cartridges and stuffed them into his pockets.

"Glad to see it." Shane answered and Trouble looked around.

"We all set? Everybody here that's going?" She asked and murmurs of yes floated around the room. "Ok, we're going back to the gap, and we're picking up our cars. Ian, can you get the key to the gas house? We might as well take care of some of those bodies if we have time."

"Got it." He jiggled a set of keys mischieviously. "Let's light 'em up."

The sunlight was cloudy with the kind of crazy breeze that picks up after summer. They piled into two cars and headed out to a concrete bunker in the far part of the property. Ian popped the lock with his key and they grabbed a couple cans of gas, putting them into the back of the truck Shane was driving.

"Got matches?" She asked Ian and he grabbed a box from a shelf inside. He tossed them to her and they headed off toward the gate. Sam unlocked it for them, and they all took a big breath, every one of them praying this would go smoother than it had lately.

The street lay deserted and Shane zipped the truck around the debris in the road. They passed the cars that had been left so long ago and Trouble looked longingly at her Jeep. It looked so sad just sitting there. The pile of bodies came up and they began to smell the old stench of rotting flesh. It was intense as they passed and even Shane recoiled a little, looking at her with disgust.

"Yeah, we are doin something about that." He nodded and she grinned. Soon, he pulled the car to a stop before the landmines, and they piled out to cover Sam while he adjusted the camera. Rick was drifting back down the street a little further, and Trouble could see he looked distracted, his gun was not ready to shoot and he sort of... meandered along. She frowned and scanned the street, her sunglasses shining brightly despite the overcast sky.

"You get it?" She backed off to stand by Sam.

"Yeah, almost." He said, focused on his chore. She stood guard there at his feet until she heard him grunt satisfactorily.

"Got it. Let's move." He grinned and they piled back into the cars and headed toward home. The first pile of bodies worth burning was within sight, and when they stopped Ian grabbed a gas tank from the truck and started soaking it down while the others kept watch around him. She flicked a match from the box and tossed it on, adding a second one for good measure. She grinned at Ian as the pile went up in black smoke and they headed back to the cars. The second pile was going to be harder. It was huge with the work they had done the last time.

"Walker." She heard Shane say as he pulled the truck over slightly past the massive pile. Her head shot up and she peered forward. Indeed, there was a skeletal structure in a old style skirt suit drifting down the road toward them.

"I got it." She heard Rick as she climbed down out of the truck. There was only one, but she hissed loudly at Rick.

"No guns!" She caught his attention and he jogged back to her. She handed him the bowie knife at her thigh and watched him approach the walker. She could hear Ian and Sam pouring the gas on the bodies, but she and Shane were totally focused on Rick. He lifted his arm as he reached the figure and they saw him jam the knife up through the walker's chin. He steadied it with his foot and yanked the blade out. Standing up, he looked down at it for a moment before wiping the blade off on an old rag in his pocket and jogging back to them.

"Still only see the one. Thanks." He handed her the knife.

"Welcome." She said softly. She had never seen this Rick. This once that looked like the guy she knew, but we had a colder, more militia attitude. She glanced over at Shane and saw he was watching Rick too, and he also looked a little confused.

"Care to light it up?" Ian barked at her and she snapped to. She grabbed the match box and tossed a lit one on the pile, onto the face of an old, old man. It didn't light up as fast and she quickly put three more on. Soon, it was flickering nicely and they ran back for their cars.

"You think it's bad breathing that in?" Shane asked as he drove and she shrugged.

"I don't think it would be good."

"Yeah." He murmured, grabbing her knee and squeezing it tightly. "You look so amazing right now." He looked over at her, his eyes shaded and deeper in color.

"I just burned a pile of bodies. Yeah, I'm super sexy." She quipped and laid her hand on his.

"You have no idea. You think we might get those cars and head off somewhere for a while?" He asked, half joking but half serious too.

"I can see that going over well back home." She raised an eyebrow at him. He ran his hand further up her thigh but she patted it off as he stopped beside the three abandoned vehicles in the middle of the road.

"Yes! Ah-ha..." Trouble laughed as she hopped down out of the truck and jogged lightly to the Jeep. "Shit." She froze as she saw a walker coming around the back side of it toward her. It shambled a little quicker than most of them and it was very close before she got her knife in hand.

"Shit, she's got one!" She heard T-Dog yell from right behind her as she squared off and pushed the knife as deeply as she could into the walker's skull. It made a squishing noise as it fell, and she had to put her foot on it's head like Rick had done to removed the blade. Shane was by her side as she rose and she grinned at him.

"Piece of cake."

He glared at her. "You promised."

"What was I supposed to do?" She said, walking away from him and toward her Jeep. She climbed up into the cab and looked at him. "Stand there and let it chew on me?"

"How about run away?" He shot back grumpily and headed back to his own truck. Sam hopped up into it with him so he could be first and open the gate. Ian got the Matrix and Dean grabbed the other Cherokee. Soon they were headed back toward the house in a mad looking impression of a train.

Shane hit his brakes hard and Trouble was so happy to have her Jeep back she almost ran into him. "What the hell?" She shouted and saw him fly out of the cab and back toward her.

"Get in the Matrix. And give me that knife." He said, reaching for her leg.

She instantly knew. "How many?"

"It's not bad. Five." He said and she got out of the Jeep quickly and started to head in that direction, like T-Dog and Dean were.

"Oh hell, no." He grabbed her arm and yanked her to the Matrix behind her. Tossing her unceremoniously into the passenger seat, he snapped at a very surprised looking Ian. "She stays right here."

He slammed the door shut and they watched him run around the cars ahead and out of sight. "What the hell is that about?" Ian asked.

"Walkers. Apparently, I'm not supposed to play anymore. Dick took my knife." She was furious. "Oh, screw that." She began to open the door and get out but Ian grabbed her and yanked her back in.

"Oh no you don't. He'll kill me." He kept a surprisingly vice grip on her upper arm and she scowled at him. "Pout all you want, baby. It's cute."

She reluctantly closed the door, and his grip lessened but did not remove itself. He obviously did not trust her. "I swear to God I don't know what you people are thinking. I'm good at this. I know what I'm doing."

"Look, we're not on the luckiest streak here and you just wanna keep testing it. Why don't you let someone else do it and sit. One. Out. For God's sake." He almost shouted and she looked at him, wide eyed at his outburst, before bursting into laughter.

"Wow, Ian. That is officially the third time you have ever had the nerve to talk to me like that." She shook her head in wonder at him. "Good to see you still got it in ya."

He frowned deeply at her. "I'd rather see you kicking my ass than losing out there. Sue me."

"Here they come." She murmured as Shane and the others began to appear around the truck ahead. She cursed when she saw Sam climb into her Jeep.

"Hell. Finally get it back and I don't even get to drive the damn thing." She growled as the cars started and headed around the bodies and toward the path to the gate. The trees were shady and dim but as they passed them, she could clearly see the outlines of three deer a few hundred yards away. She sat up excitedly and Ian looked over.

"Now what?"

"Deer. Didn't you see them?" She smiled widely at him.

"I did not. And no, we're not stopping." He drawled back.

"We have to stock the freezers for winter. I told you that already. T-Dog has a rifle. Come on." She said exasperatedly.

"No." Was his simple reply when he stopped behind Sam, who got out, opened the gates, and they drove through quickly so he could lock it behind them. They still never really felt safe in the yard since the geeks had gotten in, so they waited until all the cars were through and Sam was safely back in the Jeep before continuing over the hill.

"You used to be fun." Trouble gave Ian one last shot before she darted out of the car at the house and toward the gate. It slid open and they piled into the cool, dark foyer. When it slid back behind them and the door had been shut, Dean gave the group a huge smile.

"You realize what we just did? We got a shit load done and nobody came back bleeding."

"It's not for lack of trying." Shane growled as they got into the elevator. In the common room, he stomped off toward their bedroom while Sam, Dean, Ian, and T-Dog grabbed beers and crashed into the couches, loudly bantering.

Rick came out of the elevator behind her and she turned and looked at him. "You ok?"

He didn't look as tired anymore, and that was good. His eyes were clearer, and his expression did not reflect as much pain. The days away had obviously been good for him. "Better than in a while." He answered lightly.

"I can see that. Good." She smiled and walked off to the kitchen for a soda. She popped the top on it and strolled down the hallway to the bedroom, taking a drink as she opened the door and stepped inside. Shane came at her so quickly she almost dropped the can and cried out. He swiped it from her and yanked her toward him, pulling her close to his face. His eyes were vibrant, angry, but he looked incredibly turned on. It was a terrifying mix, and she opened her mouth in surprise.

He took the opportunity to come smashing down on it in a bruising kiss that pushed her back into his arms several inches. His tongue was angrily searching her mouth and her breath completely left her body. When he pulled away, she was gasping a little.

"You want danger? You wanna take chances?" He grabbed his shirt and ripped it over his head, his eyes on hers. "Well then, fuck yeah." He grabbed her again and picked her up, pushing his mouth onto hers, and leaning her against a small table nearby. Her heart was beating a million times a minute and she felt a wave of adrenaline crash through her.

She pushed him away, struggling against his chest and massive arms until he broke the kiss and glared at her. "What the hell are you doing?" She cried out, trying to catch her breath.

He flared his nostrils. "Giving you what you want." He pulled her shirt off before she could take another breath and began running a line of hard kisses along her chest. She looked down at him in shock. True, she had not known him long but this kind of madness she had never seen. It alarmed her, and she remembered Rick's words. 'You haven't seen Shane angry yet?'

She pushed him away again, and this time it was a little easier. It seemed like he knew this was different, because he lifted his head and this time his eyes flashed with more panic and sorrow than anger. She stared at him eye to eye for several seconds, and when she saw his face change- that slight change that you almost don't see- she brought up a hand and rubbed his cheek gently. He let out a deep breath and let her go, walking to the bed and sitting on the edge, his head in his hands. She went to him and sat on her knees behind him, rubbing his back gently.

"I wouldn't have hurt you." She heard him say in a low voice through his palms. "I just wanted you to see what I feel every time you step out that door."

She frowned sadly. She scared him when she did careless things, and she'd almost died. "I understand." She whispered and his head jerked around toward her.

"No you don't. If you did you would have stepped back today instead of running into that thing." He said bitterly.

"I'm sorry." She really meant it. "I didn't realize. I really didn't."

He moved his body so he was facing her more. "You're all I have. You're it. Do you realize that?If anything happens to you..." He touched her face and ran his hand over her hair. No one had ever said anything like this to her and she felt her heart pound so loudly it almost drowned out his voice. A lump formed in her throat that almost choked her. He pulled her onto his lap facing him, running his large hands up and down her sides.

She swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, Shane. I won't do it again ok?" He stroked his cheeks lovingly, her eyes welling up. He saw and pulled her face towards him, kissing away the dampness at her eyes.

"You swear." He said firmly, his hand on the back of her head, holding her tightly.

"Yes." she answered softly. It felt too big for her to contain, these words he had just said to her. She just cuddled him there, hoping she wouldn't have to speak again because she wasn't sure she would be able to.


	17. Winter

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

When winter came it was a blessing to everyone in the house. They had hunted, gotten plenty of deer meat stocked away, cleared the walls of all the bodies, scavenged anything left from the surrounding buildings. They were as prepared as they were going to be, and when the first flakes fell Sam called everyone up to the balcony to see.

Carl, of course, loved it, and Anna filled the house with holiday smells and music. For the others, it was a time of rest. The crazy summer before that had taken so much from them slowed down and would freeze over, providing the peace they so needed to recuperate. Rick was already on the mend, it seemed. He spent a lot of time with Carl, but he had worked his way back into the day to day lives of the others.

One night the alarm went off and Trouble wandered down the hall sleepily to find out what Bruiser was up to now. They hadn't seen more than a few walkers lately at a time, so she wasn't especially worried. She plopped down into the office chair and curled her bare legs up underneath her, staring at the screens with bleary eyes.

She didn't notice Rick at the door until he spoke. "Hey. Got anything?"

She jumped a little. "You scared me to death, Rick." She breathed, her hand on her heart. He grinned and stepped inside.

"Sorry." He came to rest on the edge of the desk and peered at the monitors.

"I don't see anything. Do you?" She yawned and squinted back at the screens. He leaned over her to get a better look, and she was suddenly very aware of his nearness. Ever since she became aware of his feelings, she had a special spidey sense whenever he was around.

He leaned back. "Nope. Nothing."

She nodded and made sure the alarm was reset. She stood and waved at him, yawning again. "Night, Rick."

"Night." He sounded sad but she was way too tired to ask about it. Probably wouldn't be the best idea to get into it anyway. She was down the hall when the alarm went off again and she stomped her foot as she turned and went back. Rick shut it off because it went quiet immediately.

"What the hell is wrong with that thing?" She asked as she walked back in the room.

"Nothing. There's something out there." Rick said quickly, getting two rifles off the wall. She ran to the screens and peered.

"Where the hell is it?" She blurted, and he came up close behind her and pointed to the front gate image. She watched it closely and saw two arms come through the bars and withdraw. "Son of a bitch." She mused and moved back, bumping into Rick.

"Sorry." He looked into her eyes but she moved away quickly, going to the clothing hanging against the wall. She grabbed a pair of snow pants and tugged them on over her shorts, and a jacket over her teeshirt, zipping it up tightly. She pulled on her boots, and Rick handed her one of the rifles.

She looked at the monitor again and saw two pairs of arms reaching through. "There's more than one." She said grimly and clicked a button on the speaker. "Ian? Wake up, buddy. You're second string. Get your tail in here."

"No one ever uses second string." Ian mumbled over the speaker. "Call Sam."

"Get in here or I'll cut up every one of your shirts and use them as christmas decorations." She said flatly.

There was a pause. "I'm comin'."

Rick took the moment to grab some warmer clothes of his own and in a minute Ian came in dressed in his white tee shirt and blue sleeping pants. His black hair was a little more disheveled than usual and his eyes were squinting in the light.

"My shirts? Really?" He glared at Trouble and she smiled at him sweetly.

"Check it out. It's trippy." She said, gesturing to the front gate. He waited and when the arms came through again he jumped back a little.

"That's novel." He said sleepily.

"Rick is going with me. Keep an eye and be ready to call for backup." She said, grabbing a walkie.

"Mm-hmm." He murmured, flopping down in the chair. "Go get 'em, Tiger."

The gate upstairs didn't swing open immediately and Trouble let out an angry breath. "Ian. Wake the hell up!"

"Ok, Jesus..." He came back over the speakers and the gate slid open.

They went to the Jeep and Rick climbed into the passenger seat as Trouble started the car. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as they drove. The light snow just powdered the ground and the chilly wind blew her hair around her face freely. They stopped a little more ways away than they normally do, and got out. He took a step in front of her, he always liked to be between her and them. They stopped several feet to the left of the gate, weapons aimed, and waited. They could hear the groans, but they couldn't see a damn thing.

"Hell." She whispered, close to him. "Come here." She said and he followed her back to the Jeep. She dug around in the back as she spoke. "We can turn on a floodlight but that's probably why there's more than one right now. So... we need... this." She held up a night vision attachment for her rifle and clicked it on.

"You keep night vision in your car. That's a little voyeuristic, don't you think?" He said as she tested it out.

"Little bit." She mumbled, grinning. "Ok, lets go."

They moved back to the gate and she looked through the sight. She paused. "Oh God."

"What?" He asked, anxiously.

"There's four. Look." She handed him her rifle and he peered through. Sure enough, there were four walkers, two of whom were crawling on the ground. Those were the arms that were seen on screen.

"I'll take the shot." He said and aimed. He popped off the first round and he saw a head pop like a grape in the scope. He shot again, then two more times. When he handed the smoking rifle back to her she peered through and saw the motionless corpses against the gate.

They stood there in the darkness together, silent. Listening for more approaching walkers.

"I'm starving." She whispered suddenly and he chuckled.

"Considering what we just did, I think that might be a little disturbing." He answered.

"Come on, tell me you're not hungry." She said flatly.

"Could eat a horse." He said and she laughed lightly.

"Well, I think that's enough for now. You don't hear anything, do you?" She asked.

He listened closely. "No."

"Let's go." She said, heading back to the car. They climbed out and the gate to the front door slid open. They made their way down to the common room and went to put away the rifles. Ian spun around in his chair, looking at them with a flat expression.

"Can I _please_ go back to bed now without the threat of losing apparel of any kind?"

"You are such a baby. Go." She said, hanging up her gun after Rick. Ian groaned and was getting up from the chair when he spotted her grab the snow pants she had on and begin to pull them off, he let out a breath and let himself fall back into the chair. She had shorts on, but it was so unexpected his mouth dropped open. Rick faltered a moment, too, but quickly recovered and kept undressing from his own outdoorwear.

"I don't think he heard you." He said quietly and Ian glared at him, but Rick just shot him a look back.

"Ian. Yes. You can go." She unzipped her jacket and tugged it off, looking over at him with a exasperated look and his mouth clamped shut.

"Yeah. I'm, uh, goin." He nodded, his eyes wide and innocent.

She walked over to be sure the alarm was reset and she looked back at Rick. "I'm gonna make something if you want."

"Yeah. Sounds good." He went to follow her and she looked back at Ian. "You comin?"

Now it was Ian's turn to shoot a triumphant glance. "Sure."

Shane woke up when Trouble came back in from breakfast. It had been quick, toast and eggs, and she, Ian, and Rick hadn't really talked too much. Still, it had been nice to be able to chill with Rick and it not be uncomfortable by the end.

"Hey baby." He wrapped his arms around her when she joined him in bed. "You're freezing." He began to rub her arms briskly to warm her up. She faced him and gave him a kiss.

"There were walkers last night." She said simply and he paused.

"They set off the alarm?" He asked and she nodded and he partially sat up. "In the yard?"

"No, it was weird. They were reaching in the front gate and waving around and that's what did it. I didn't even see it until the second alarm." She yawned.

"What did you do?" He narrowed his eyes warily.

"What you told me to. I got Ian and Rick for backup, went out and dropped 'em. Did not go near the gate, did not expose myself. I didn't even shoot them. Rick did. So, see?" She smiled and he chuckled a little.

"Wow. Ok. Thanks for telling me, babe." He kissed her and she closed her eyes and nestled closer to him. He watched her face for a while, thinking about what she had told him. She had done everything he had asked, even though he knew it was driving her crazy. He didn't want to take that natural freeness she had that he loved so much, he just didn't want her rushing onto a metal covered roof in a lightening storm.

He got up and went to the control room and flipped on the playback monitor. He cued up the alarm from last night, and a nightvision image of the front gate kicked on. He saw her Jeep, and she and Rick got out. They walked to the gate, she kept them off to the side. Good girl. Smart. Aiming... and going back to the Jeep for...? The night vision scope. He understood what she was doing. She hadn't been able to see and didn't want to switch on a floodlight.

Handing the gun to Rick, four shots. Four walkers. That worried him, that's more together that found that gate in a really long time. Going back to Jeep... and gone.

He switched off the monitor and leaned back in the chair, scratching at his head absently. He felt a little sick at himself, like he was checking up on her or not trusting her. He frowned. He shouldn't have done that, and he promised himself he wouldn't do it again. He got up and headed to the kitchen to see who was going to help him with the body removal.

Trouble only slept a couple hours, and was back up just as Anna was putting out a light lunch. She wasn't hungry and went out to the common room instead after she threw on a purple racerback tanktop and black yoga pants. Ian was flopped across one of the couches half asleep with an old Hitchock movie and looked up at her with his sideways smirk. He had a plate with a couple cookies left on it and a glass of Anna's lemonade. She grabbed one of his cookies and sat down across from him, looking up at the movie.

"Vertigo. Good choice." She said, chewing.

"I can't take credit. Warren cued it up and left." He said, stretching and yawning. "You kept me up too long. I couldn't go back to sleep." He said resentfully.

"Blame it on the walkers, honey." She rolled her eyes. "Like I wanted to get my ass out in that cold weather in the middle of the night."

"Yeah, well, it's my turn tonight. Watch me get ones that get over the fence. If it's going to happen, it's gonna happen to me. And I'm callin' your ass."

She laughed lightly. She grabbed his glass and took a drink.

"Hey now! Get your own, woman." He protested but grinned.

"Right. I've never been able to have an entire cigarette around you." She said and took another drink.

He chuckled and watched her for a minute, closely. "I wanted to talk to you, Trouble."

She looked at him, eyebrows raised. "Yeah? Shoot." She stole his other cookie and he smiled.

"Not here." He got up and went down the hallway. She grabbed his glass and followed him into his bedroom, where he shut the door behind her. Again his chair was totally covered in laundry and towels, so she sat crosslegged on his bed.

"I have a feeling I'm gonna need a cigarette for this." She joked and he nodded, going to his bedside table and pulling out a pack. He flopped sideways in front of her and lit one.

"You have your own stash, why you always stealing mine?" She objected and he grinned.

"So I'll always have my own." He said and handed it to her. She took a drag and looked him expectantly. "Don't get pissed off at me, ok? We've always been able to talk."

"Yeah, we can. Go ahead."

"The way I talked to you in the car after Shane told you to stay put was wrong." He said and she looked at him, confused.

"It was right in the idea. Letting us take some shots for you. You don't always have to throw yourself in the way of the bullet, right?" He asked and she nodded, lighting another cigarette. Her heart was starting to beat fast because she thought she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"But, Trouble, the way you've changed since Shane came is getting weird. These rules he gives you and don't think everyone doesn't know about it. How mad he got the other day when you popped that walker with your bowie? It's weird and controlling and I don't like it. You realize you actually ask his permission for things now? You have never done that, never in the whole time I've known you. In fact, if one of us told you not to do something, you would go do it just to prove a point." He paused and looked at her, unsure whether or not to continue. She looked beautiful, as always, her hair pulled up into that messy bun he loved, cute shirt that shows off her shoulders. And she was hear with him on his bed, and he's getting ready to tell her that her boyfriend is psycho. Great...

She blinked at him. "Still not mad."

He didn't expect that. "Good, because I've got more. Since these people came, it's been worse. Rick is a loose cannon, and Shane knows it. You should see the way they watch each other, like their stalking or something. And the way they look at you is worse." He made a disgusted face and she looked down at her hands. The cigarette had long ago burned away, forgotten.

"And you know it, that's the thing that's getting to me. That talk we had right here before Lori died, it was about them. And you getting so mad about being bossed around in the car, that made me realize that you can't possibly be happy in this. I just want it to go back to the way it was, before all of them. When we had fun, and we didn't control each other, you know?"

"I remember." She smiled softly and looked at him. She wanted to tell him she had thought about all this. "I don't know how it all started, Ian. And the thing about Rick, you're right. He's gone... wrong somehow. But he did save my life, twice, and we should think of that. And I have told him, very clearly, that I am not interested in him. I think he understands."

Ian sat up and bit his lip, thinking hard. "Are you happy? That's what I want to know."

"You seem to be one of the only ones who even cares about that." She said, suddenly realizing no one has ever asked her that question, not even Shane. "In some ways I am. Shane is a great guy and I have you and Dean, Sam, Anna..." She paused.

"But?" He asked, pushing her a little.

"But, I don't like being told what to do. I understand the basic reason behind is my safety, but there are ways I can be more careful without following a set of set rules, you know? That day in the car really pissed me off. I thought it was a damn good kill that day." She said, eyes wide.

"Hell yes. It was badass." He agreed and she smiled. "I didn't want it to seem like I was coming down on Shane. Maybe I was at first, but then you seemed happy and I tried to let it go. But you don't seem that happy now, and I think it's because of Rick and his group making things worse."

"No, just Rick and Lori. The others are awesome. T-Dog, Hershel saving my life, Glen and Maggie are sweet, and I wouldn't send Carol or Carl back out there for anything." She shook her head as she spoke.

"I wouldn't either but the dynamic of the whole group is throwing us off, and I wonder if you can feel it. Look, I'm sorry but after you went to sleep today I went to get something from the control room and I saw Shane, reviewing the tape from the yard. He was watching you and Rick. Tell me that's not weird." He hated telling her that, especially when he saw her eyes widen in surprise. She had told him every single detail, every thing that happened down to a T. Why would he need to see it?

"Yeah, it is strange. It kinda freaks me out actually. I feel like I let something in here that is out of control. That we have gained so much, but so many things had to be sacrificed to get there and I wonder if it's all worth it." She looked sad and he reached out and put his hand on the back of her head, pulling her into his shoulder. She rested there, smelling his sandalwood smell and thinking about what he said. She was moved by his honesty. He had told her he loved her for so long and she had dismissed it, taken his gentleness, his caring, his cocky assholeness that she secretly thought was funny as hell, all of it for granted.

"I told Shane I loved him too. I thought I did." She said, pulling back and looking up into his striking blue eyes. He had the strangest look on his face, like he was on the verge of a massive discovery.

"You don't think you do?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Not exactly. I just wonder if I was pushed and guilted into it, you know? Shane says if something would happen to me he would die, and that I'm the only thing he has in this world. It's just..." She couldn't find the words.

"A lot of pressure?" He asked and her eyes snapped up.

"Exactly. If I were to walk in there right now and tell him I didn't love him, I would be responsible for his death in one way or another. I will have crushed a truly decent man." She looked so pained and he frowned.

"You should never be made to feel that way." He told her. He had never told her the awful things he had thought in the nights she would turn him down, the sorrow he had felt the moment he had realized there something more between her and Shane, the sheer anger. He had never told her any of that because it wasn't her fault. For Shane to do that just proved what a damaged person he was.

She sighed and fell back so her head was on his pillow and she was laying staring at the ceiling. He went to the other side and laid back too, not in his Ian-Seduction 101 way. She looked over and looked at him, feeling very comforted instead.

"Thanks, Ian." She turned up the corner of her mouth a little and he gave her that sideways grin.

"I came in here expecting to leave with a black eye. Thanks for not doing that."

She laughed lightly and looked back at the ceiling. "I should have listened to you more."

"Isn't that kind of the problem right now?" He chuckled. "You realize we need to get drunk."

"Very much." She nodded and he quickly left the room, coming back with six beers. "Whoa." She said, sitting up.

"I didn't want to keep making trips." He said, sitting them on his table and cracking two of them. He handed her one and took a long swig. "Although I'm fairly certain Carol thinks I'm a raging alcoholic now."

She laughed and he laid on his stomach across the foot of the bed. She grabbed his remote and flipped on the music she had cued into the system.

"Oh God, I've depressed you into listening to country music."

"I will never be that depressed. If I am, kill me."

"Deal." He said as strains of music filtered through the speakers nearby. "I like this one."

"Adele. Who doesn't? Or... didn't. Is she a zombie now?" She asked, looking so serious that he laughed out loud.

"Probably. Damn shame, too." He downed his beer. "Come on, girl. I know you drink better than that." She downed the last of hers and he replaced it with a fresh bottle. He went to his bedside table and picked out a bottle. Spilling out a few pills, he handed two to her and kept two for himself.

"Yeah? What treats do we have here?" She said interestedly, looking at the tablets.

"Like you don't know. Bottoms up." he said and swallowed them with his beer. She did the same and they quietly listened to the new song that was playing.

"If I do something dumb you can't hold it over me." She warned him and he chuckled.

"If you don't do something stupid it means you aren't having fun. I have explained this, although you do need to watch who your accomplice is."

"Fairly certain that attitude leads to a very serious addiction of some sort."

"I'm addicted to love." He said, his head turning toward her lazily, his mouth upturned.

"Robert Palmer. There is no excuse for that. Ever." She answered, laughing. She turned and faced him, sitting up on her elbow.

"You remember the time we got in here, how crazy we thought it was?" He asked.

"I do. First thing I did was put my pictures up on the mirror. I didn't think I'd ever have a bedroom or a mirror ever again."

"First thing I did was shower. My God, that was the best thing." He sighed, remembering. "And when Anna and Warren came. Remember what she did?"

"Went straight to the kitchen and made apple cobbler." She giggled. "And she's been there ever since."

They laughed together for a few moments and fell quiet. Her brain was going a million miles a minute, but she kept having the same recurring thought. Is Shane out there looking for her? If he was and she was found in here, on the bed with Ian, he would freak.

"You're going out there, aren't you?" he said suddenly and her head whipped over at him.

"What?" She asked. When did he turn magic?

"He's probably out there looking for you right now. He comes in here, sees this..." He looked over at her, and didn't even need to finish. She swallowed the last of her beer and tossed the bottles in the trash.

"I'll be back." She said quietly, heading for the door.

She left the room as casually as she could, expecting to see Shane on the other side, but the hall was deserted. Sounds came from the common room though, and she headed that way, ducking into her bedroom first. It also lay empty and she went into the bathroom, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Thinking about what Ian said was making her feel panicky, but she was feeling a low crawl of warmth in her stomach, and sighed. She brushed her teeth of beer, it was a bad taste for some reason, and headed back out into the hallway.

Dean and Sam were on the couch as she entered the common room.

"You guys seen Shane?" She asked.

"Should have been back by now. He went up with T-Dog and Rick to get those walkers you got last night." Dean said.

"That was crazy." Sam said and she nodded. "Setting the alarm off from outside the gate."

"Nothing we can't handle, you know that." She gave them a small smile and walked towards the kitchen. She was almost to the door when Shane came out and almost ran her over.

"Whoa, hey." Hey said, surprised. He brushed her hair away from her face in a small motion, and she fought the urge to push it away. "Did you get enough sleep?"

"Yeah, I was going to get something to eat. Did I miss lunch?" She asked, passing by him and going into the kitchen. There were still chicken salad sandwiches on the counter and Trouble had the distinct impression Anne had left them specifically for her and Ian. Shane followed her in, a slight frown on his lips.

"You sure you're ok?" He paused in the doorway as she grabbed a plate.

"Yeah," She nodded. "Maybe still a little tired. You know, all the excitement last night."

"Sure." His face cleared and he came close, putting his hands on her cheeks and looking into her eyes. He tried to read her, see the desire reflected from his own. "You did really great last night."

She set her jaw. Of course she did. "I did great?"

"Yeah. You were safe. Careful. And you got it done." He smiled at her, but it drifted when she narrowed her eyes and pulled back a little.

"Shane, I was doing this a long time before you came along. There were four of them and I was behind a gate. I don't need your accolades for a elementary job done."

She tried to walk past him and he stopped her, pulling her by the wrist and taking the plate from her. He sat it on the counter and grabbed both her hands. "What's wrong? I don't get it, you were fine this morning."

The room suddenly seemed a little too close and she felt the pills take full effect. "I'm not feeling so hot, Shane, that's all, ok?" She grabbed his hands back and gave him a tight smile.

"Ok." He seemed sad, confused. "I'm going hunting with T-Dog and Sam, ok? Try get more meat while we can."

"Be careful." She said and he kissed her. She kept it chaste, and held onto the counter for leverage. The anger she felt was taking an effect on her wobbly knees.

"I will. Love you." He said, and she watched him leave the kitchen. She grabbed the plate and few more beers and took the opposite hallway. When she reached her door, she looked back. It was clear so she darted across the hallway and through Ian's door, shutting it quickly behind her. She leaned against it and looked at him. He was slouched down against the pillow fiddling with his fingertips absently. His knees were up and were swaying slightly with the music that was still on. She grinned so wide it hurt her face and a smile of his own came over him.

"Uh-oh. Looks like somebody's feelin' good." He said in his light, teasing way, and she nodded, bringing the plate of food to the table but bringing the beer to Ian. He grabbed them and put them on the nightstand table as she crawled back up next to him. She lay back and closed her eyes, enjoying the lightness she felt. When she opened them again, she looked over and saw him watching her with the most peaceful expression she had ever seen on him.

"What?" She took a drink of her beer and looked at him curiously.

"Nothing. How did it go out there?" He asked, turning his attention back to his fingertips.

She shrugged. "As good as it could, I suppose." She took another long drink and let out a deep breath.

He looked back over at her, hoping it wasn't the alcohol or pills that had swayed her. But God, after that talk, the girl needed something. His heart had picked up when she came through the door and remained quick in his chest. Truthfully, he didn't think she would. She would go out there and Bigfoot would fill her head with some other bullshit and she would just... not come back.

She had no clue what she was going to do, he knew that and he couldn't blame her. People have thrust impossible demands and she had just taken them on until she couldn't anymore. He would be her refuge. Her place to go where nothing was expected of her. She deserved to have that.

His brain had achieved a very desirable state of fuzzy, and he breathed in deeply, enjoying it. He looked around for the pack of cigarettes and saw them on Trouble's side of the bed, just out of reach. She wasn't sleeping, but she was so relaxed he didn't want to bother her. He leaned over her as high as he could and just as his fingers grabbed the box she opened her eyes and he found them nose to nose. She was going to freak, God, he'd done it now...

But she just smiled and scooted a little out of his way. He smiled to himself as he pulled one out and lit it, offering it to her. She took it and handed it back a second later, letting out a lazy stream of smoke. "We should do this more often." She said.

"Have deep confessional discussions that destroy lives?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

"Or, you know, the other stuff." She answered with a shrug. "Depends on the day, I guess."

He sat up and stretched. "So, where is Shaney-boy anyway?"

"Hunting. Made sure to tell me I'd done such a 'good job' last night." She sounded bitter now, and she put her beer down and sat up, pulling her legs toward herself and wrapping her arms around them. He looked at the suddenly defensive position and frowned. God, that man was such an idiot.

"A good job, huh? Four walkers behind a gate. He should have seen you in Knoxville." He flashed her a devilish look and she smacked her forehead. Then she pulled her hand away suddenly and flashed a wise smile.

"That was kind of kickass, wasn't it?"

He crossed his legs and faced her, grabbing his beer and taking a drink. "Are you kidding me? Picture it, folks:" He begins in a dramatic, deep voice. "Our heroine is surrounded by six walkers in an abandoned house. Doors are being ripped off their hinges by the monsters and all she has is a gun with three rounds and bowie knife. Ah! What will she do?" He said the last part in a high pitch and she laughed, shaking her head.

"That's not entirely true. You were with me." She said and he nodded. They had stopped at the house in the backwoods somewhere and it looked abandoned. But they didn't realize the family had locked walkers in the basement before they left or died or whatever. Dean and Sam were downstairs and he had been upstairs inspecting with her. When they heard the moaning she had slammed the door shut and they had blocked it with a dresser. It only gave them a moment, but it was enough for her to come through. He had two rounds himself, and it had been intense.

"If we would have missed one, we wouldn't have made it." She said.

"But you didn't. Hopping up on the dresser and got the last one in the back of the head with the bowie. Just jumped right in there." He grinned proudly at her and she bit her lip, smiling to herself. That is exactly the kind of thing that would piss Shane off so bad he might actually go through with that little scare tactic he'd pulled in the bedroom.

"So, uh, awesome job on the gate walkers." He held up his beer to cheers and she chuckled, clinking hers with his.

"Right." She said, and a knock at the door came, making them both jump.

"Get in the closet." He hissed and she dove behind the closet door as he opened his bedroom door.

She heard Dean as he walked in the room. "Haven't seen you all damn day. Good god, you drink all these beers?" He asked incredulously, and she heard Ian mumble.

"Yeah, man. Just not a good day, you know. Tired." He was slurring a lot more than she knew he actually was.

"Well, yeah, if I downed a dozen beers I'd be pretty tired too." Dean laughed. "Sleep it off, man. We'll do it tomorrow." His voice was fading as he was leaving but then she heard his pause. "Hey, you know if Trouble is in her room? I was gonna get her too."

"Yeah, but I saw her an hour or so ago and she said she was going to get a little more rest. I'd leave her alone." Ian slurred and she heard the door hit the wall. He must have tripped.

"Watch it, man. Don't tear the place down. I'll see ya." Dean was laughing as he walked away, and she waited several moments for Ian to finally close the door. He clicked the lock on the door and came to the closet. He opened it with a flourish and she burst out in laughter.

"My God, I had no idea you were that good an actor." She laughed, coming out of the closet and bumping into him playfully. He grabbed her around the shoulders and pretended to stumble.

"'eh lady, you gotta quarter?" He slurred and rolled his eyes.

"A quarter? Fuck that, I'd give you a damn Oscar." She couldn't keep them both steady and they fell onto the bed, laughing. They came to rest facing each other, his hand on her hip. She looked at him, deep into his chiseled face, his dark eyebrows framing his blue eyes. His black hair was a little more mussed than usual, and she reached up and rumpled it a little bit.

"It's getting long. I'm going to need Anna to cut it soon." He said quietly, watching her peaceful.

She gave a slight shake of her head. "I like it."

"Then I'm going to leave it." He said and she smiled sadly. The visit from Dean had sobered her up quite a bit, and she took a quick stock of her situation at the moment. His hand was still on her hip and they were laying on a bed together with her playing with his hair. Oh my God...

She sat straight up and wiped a spontaneous tear from her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Ian." She said as she stood and he shot up and blocked her from stepping forward.

"Trouble. Trouble, stop for a minute." He had her arms and she was trying to push him away, but he was, very gently, not letting her. She finally stopped and sighed, looking at him sadly.

"Don't you understand? It's me. I'm the problem. I did this to Shane, Rick thinks I did it to him, and I'm doing it to you now. I'm rolling around with you on your bed, and I know you have feelings for me. It's cruel."

He frowned and stood straight up, looking down at her. "You haven't done one god damn single thing misleading to me today. We have lived together for how long now? A year where we have been in single rooms together for days at a time. We've had to hide in train cars and backseats together for hours upon hours and we could have had a million opportunities to do something but we didn't."

She looked at him curiously, her sadness fading a little at his words. She sniffed a little, looking up at him. "So I don't want to hear this." He continued and she nodded slightly. "This isn't you, and if you go out there thinking it is nothing is ever going to be the same for you because you'll give up. Give in to the Powers That Be." He rolled his eyes and the last part and let her arms go. He stepped back and considered her. "Ok?"

"Yeah." She nodded, looking down at the floor with a slight smile. She stepped forward and hugged him tightly, putting her chin on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her too and brushed her hair with his palm. "Thank you. For everything."

He let out a breath, his eyes still tightly closed, breathing her in. "You never have to thank me."

They let go and she sighed, looking at the clock. 7:34. "I had better go." She said, and he nodded, his face a reassuring beacon for her. She went to his door and looked back at him one last time. He just stood in the middle of the room, his hands on his hips and his eyes on hers. His lips were curled up a little, showing the dimple he had in his left cheek. He smiled and she slipped out the door.

The hallway was still deserted, thank god, but she could hear Dean from the common room, and she had her hand on her doorknob when she heard him whoop at the incoming elevator. She ducked into her darkened room and turned on the lamp, going to the bathroom sink to brush the taste of beer from her mouth. The pills had mostly worn off now, she was no longer getting that pleasant buzzing feeling. Sighing, she went out and grabbed a fresh tee shirt, and she was slipping it on when Shane came in.

"Hey baby. You feelin' better?" He asked, taking off his filthy teeshirt and tossing it in the hamper. He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her waist, looking down at her with concern.

"Yeah, I do." She nodded, smiling. "You catch anything?"

"Two deer." He said proudly. "I think we're gonna be just fine over the winter, this keeps up." He brought his head down to bump foreheads with her, running his hand in lazy circles over her back. He kissed her gently on the cheek before moving to her mouth, capturing her bottom lip between his and pulling gently. "I missed you. Ain't seen you in more than a day."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed his neck. "Missed you, too." And she did. She was angry, yes, but he smelled like cold wind and that unique scent that he always seemed to have. His lips knew how to work hers, and his hands were so strong on her. She sighed into his embrace and he tightened it, his eyes growing dark and heavy.

"Gonna take a shower with me?" It almost wasn't a question. She smiled and he picked her up, kissing her deeply into the bathroom. He reached in and turned the hot water on and turned back to her. He grabbed her tee shirt and pulled it off before catching her mouth again and exploring it again with his tongue. She ran her nails over his muscular shoulders as he unbuckled his pants and they went sliding to the floor, fully exposing his massive erection. He wasn't kidding that he's been ready for this. He had her pants off a second later and soon they were kissing under the hot stream of steamy water.

For the first time, and in a moment too intense for her to even realize, when Shane was touching her, she wasn't thinking of him. It was only one brief second, but it sent shock waves through her body.


	18. Keeping busy

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

"How you feeling, dude?" Dean laughed when Ian came into the kitchen the next morning. He had showered and dressed in jeans and simple black button up shirt, and Trouble had probably seen it a million times before, but today could swear she had never seen it before.

"I'm fine." Ian answered and took his seat next to Trouble. "Hey."

"Morning." She said, taking a drink of her coffee.

"You know, I'm pissed at all of you." Dean said, taking a bite of his hashbrowns.

"Why?" Sam asked, looking over at him questioningly.

"All you freaks left me alone last night. Bored stiff out there just wanting to talk to somebody." Dean glared at them down the table, and Ian had to keep from shooting a glance at Trouble. Shane was sharp as a pin with that- he'd pick it up immediately.

"Well, you know, you could have come hunting with me and Shane. Gotta pretty good haul." Sam said.

"I went hunting the day before. I wanted to party, man. Why don't we do that anymore?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I wanna dance again, Trouble!" T-Dog said loudly and she grinned when a whole chorus of "Oooooosss" went around the table. She did a slight bow for effect and laughed with them.

"We'll make it up to you tonight, man." Shane said, picking up his plate and taking it to the sink.

"You better do it." Dean grumbled and finished up with his plate.

"Here, I'll take it." Trouble offered, reaching for his plate as she stood up.

"Thanks." He grinned at her and she winked at him.

She went to the sink and waited for Ian to finish rinsing his plate. When he was done, he reached out for the ones she was holding.

"Thanks." She said, moving past him.

"No problem." He said casually, and she called back a thank you to Anna as she left the kitchen. Shane was standing in the common room with Rick when she emerged. They both looked over at her as she approached.

"Whatcha talking about?" She asked, sticking her thumbs in the back pockets of her jeans and looking at them cheerfully.

"Hunting a little more today. The weather is really great now and the deer are running through here pretty quick." Shane answered.

"Oh great, I'll get my stuff." She said, and started back for the bedroom. Shane said something to Rick and caught up with her.

"You want to come out?" He asked from the doorway.

"Yeah, why not?" She shrugged and grabbed the long sleeve black sweater she liked for a cooler temperatures.

"We ran across three walkers yesterday." He said, like that should answer everything.

She laughed. "Three whole walkers, huh? However did you manage?" His face darkened and she changed her tone. "I'm sorry, Shane, but do you happen to remember the second day you were here? The herd? I think I can handle it."

"I know you can." he said, stepping inside and shutting the door. "I just don't see why you would want to when there are already three of us going."

She stopped what she was doing and stood up. "Oh, well I guess I do have other things to do." She looked around the room, biting her lip. She looked up at him quickly. "Do you not want me to go or something?"

He stepped forward and caught her face in his hands. "'Course not, baby. You're the best. Just didn't want to send too many essential people out at once."

"Well, alright... I need to adjust the solar panels and I was going to get Glen to go up with me, he said he knew some stuff about them. Did you notice the solar energy levels on the grade were lower than normal?" She asked, frowning.

"Yeah, I did, and that's a great idea." He smiled and kissed her. "I'll see you tonight, baby."

"Be careful." She called out and watched him leave the room. She sighed and looked around. She and Shane were not the neatest people in the world, and it was starting to look like a disaster area. She set about picking up clothes and things, and pretty soon she even finished dusting the bureaus and tables. Pleased with her work, she went to the kitchen to get a soda. She passed Sam and Carl playing a video game in the common room, shouting and bumping into each other on the couch. She grinned and went into the kitchen. On her way back out, she bumped into Rick coming from the control room.

"Hey," She frowned. "I thought you were going hunting."

He nodded. "Forgot ammo." he smiled. "Can you believe that? A cop, forgetting his bullets."

She chuckled. "It happens to the best of us." She walked with him back to the common room, where he kissed Carl on top of the head as he left.

"Hey Sam, I'm gonna go check on those solar panels. You know where Glen is? I was gonna get you and him to come with me." She said, leaning over the couch back and looking at him.

He didn't take his eyes off the game. "Uh, yeah. He and Maggie went downstairs, but don't go up there yet. Sun's gonna be right on top of you. Besides, I gotta beat this evil genius here once and for all." He grinned and Carl laughed loudly as his video game character gave Sam's the final death blow. Sam threw his hands up in the air in mock rage and shook his fists. Carl was in oceans of laughter, punching Sam in the arm victoriously.

"I'll go up with you about 4 ok? Should be good then." He finally looked over at her, and she nodded and grinned.

"Great." She kissed him on the cheek and headed down the hallway toward her bedroom, wondering how she was gonna spend the next several hours, when the problem resolved itself. Ian stood at her door, his arm poised to knock. When he saw her, he grinned and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Good timing." He said as she reached him. She held out her hand toward the door and he opened it, heading in before her. He looked around the room, his eyebrows raised. "You wanna come clean my room next?"

She laughed and sat down in one of the plush armchairs in the corner, a beaten up manual in her lap. "It takes an apocalypse to even do my own."

He sat down in the chair opposite her and grabbed the book from her lap. "What is this?" He asked, his face confused and slightly disgusted. "Maintenance and Repair of Sunia Solar Panels Model 108Y, 109Y, and 109.Y? Are you serious?" He tossed the book away from him.

She smiled and retrieved it from the floor. "You know, this little book is partially responsible for your dazzling appearance. It powers your hair dryer."

He raised his eyebrows impressively. "I have misjudged you, little manual. Do thy good work. However," He stood and held out a hand to her. "You will have to wait. We're not going to do boring ass things right now. Are we?" His eyes flashed and she bit her lip.

She shook her head. "Guess not." She grabbed his hand and let him pull her up. He led her back toward his room, and through the open door.

"I'm not drinking at 10:00 in the morning for a while." She said wryly as she watched him go to the other side of his bed and reach down.

"See, I knew people around here thought I was an alcoholic." He said dryly and came back with a big bowl of popcorn.

"Ok, now I'm curious." She said.

"I found something." He said devilishly grabbed his remote. He hit a button and a black and white screen came over his TV. She stepped forward and watched the intro start to come across the screen. Her mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Arsenic and Old Lace?" She said in wonder, and he beamed proudly at her. She looked at him wide eyed. "We have this? It's my favorite."

"I know, you told me." He said.

"I did? Where did you find it?" She came toward him.

"I was digging around in the database and found some extra files that hadn't been added, this was one one of them." He said it like it was nothing, but she just stared at him. It was one of the sweetest things anyone had ever done for her.

She choked through the lump in her throat. "What are we waiting for then?"

She laid on her stomach across his bed and he leaned against the bed on the floor below her so they could share the popcorn. She laughed through the whole movie and he watched her more than it. She had a joy in her face he had never seen before, and it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

When the ending credits started across the screen she rolled over on her back and smiled widely, staring into nothing. "My mom and I used to watch that together all the time. It was her favorite too."

He got up and perched on the edge of the bed, looking down at her, enjoying her happiness. She looked up into his face and sighed. "Thank you, Ian." She rose up and came to sit next to him on the bed.

"Tonight should be fun." She said, picking at a spot on the knee of the jeans she was wearing..

"Yeah. Watching Rick sit in a chair with a bottle of whiskey and watching asses all night. Buuuu-ring it." He answered and she chuckled.

"Not coming, huh?"

"Oh, no, I'm going. I'm going to turn into the weird hermit roommate. We have Warren for that." He said simply.

She grinned and nodded, glancing back at his clock. 3:44. She signed and stood up, stretching, the bottom of her already tied up white tee shirt riding up her torso. Ian looked and felt the back of his mouth go a little dry. She always did that to him, no matter how many times he saw it.

"I gotta go. I'm meeting Sam for that... what did you call it? Boring-ass stuff." She smiled and headed for the door.

"Want some help?" He said, and she looked back at him, confused.

"You're kidding." She scoffed.

"I need a little sun. I'm starting to look like a Twilight Vampire."

She shook her head, smiling. "Yeah, come on. Oh, wait." She paused at the door and he nearly ran into her. "You have to change." He looked down at his shirt, confused. "We wear white. This is what you get for always shirking roof duty."

He went to his closet and pulled out a white version of the button down he was wearing. She leaned against the wall and waited, and looked at a spot on the ceiling. Her eyes drifted over just in time to see Ian pull the white one over his shoulders. He caught her looking and raised an eyebrow at her, smirking.

She rolled her eyes but smiled and went back to studying the ceiling. "Why so shy? Not like you haven't seen it before." He said as they headed out the door.

"You're right." She answered calmly.

"Hey, do me a favor." He was saying as they headed off down the hall. "When we gut up there, will you be honest and tell me if I sparkle?"

Ian opened the access panel and emerged into a cloudy, mildly windy afternoon. He reached back down and helped Trouble up. She left the panel open for Sam and she adjusted her sunglasses.

"Damn." Ian said from beside her. She looked at him questioningly. "I don't sparkle."

She rolled her eyes and marched off toward the tool cabinet on the roof. She handed him a few screwdrivers and a wrench and knelt down next to the nearest panel. Ian watched her check a few things with the manual. Finally she reached up to him for the screwdrivers. He held them out and she chose the one she wanted. She leaned back down and tweaked something in the back and he saw the whole panel shift slightly on its axis.

She stuck the screwdriver in her back pocket and moved on to the next one. She worked quickly and quietly, and Ian stayed close, watching her intently. She wasn't just a gorgeous girl, she actually knew shit. It was probably the reason he'd fallen for her in the first place. He wondered if Shane or Rick had ever bothered to find out.

"It looks like rain." He said over the wind and she looked up. She saw dark clouds coming slowly toward them in the distance. They had maybe, an hour, before it would break over them. She wondered if Shane was bringing the guys back.

"Looks big." She agreed and went back to work on the panels. He watched her move and bend over the large plates, her face a mask of concentration. But whenever she screwed something with the driver, she would bite her lip. Every time. A nervous tick he had noticed when they had first met. The thing about her was, when she did a job, any job, she went major focused. Completely shuts down anything that isn't relevant to her job at hand. She doesn't joke, she doesn't talk. Fuck, sometimes he wondered if she blinked.

She rose from the one she was working on when something in the field caught her eye. They had a good view of the front gate and entire right field from here, and she grabbed Ian's arm and pulled him down. They crouched next to each other, looking out at the tree line

"Where are the binoculars?" She asked, and he looked around quickly. He spotted a pair under the ledge nearby and brought them back. She gazed out intently, and she could see a shape coming close to the wall but in the trees. Just inside enough that she couldn't make out whether it was alive or dead. She saw another close behind and lowered the binoculars.

"I can't tell if it's them. But there is more than one." She said and he narrowed his eyes, his dark brows lowering. He held out his hand for the binoculars and she handed them to him. He put them up to her eyes and she watched his face. He frowned deeply after a few moments and shook his head at her.

"Better get your gun." He winced. "It's Rick."

She blinked at him, completely without emotion. "You," she began and ripped the binoculars away from him. "Are a jackass."

"A cute jackass?" He asked hopefully, standing with her and looking out over the field. They watched Rick come over the rope ladder first, then T-Dog. Up the wall came Shane, followed by Dean. Dean went too? The four of them began the walk over the field in a line, guns at the ready. She breathed out and went back to work on a new panel.

"Not going down?" He asked, kneeling down next to her.

"Not till I'm done or the rain starts. You're welcome to though." She glanced up at the sky.

He wasn't leaving her up there alone. "How many more do you have to do?"

She winced. "Hmm, maybe ten."

"Well, let's do it then." He said and she moved on to the next one. She worked quickly and she had them done in under a half hour. The clouds were almost over them, and they were blacker than they had looked earlier.

"Wanna stay for a minute?" He looked over at her and saw she had pushed her glasses up off her eyes to the top of her head, and her green eyes were focused overhead.

"Yeah." She smiled and lifted up a hand to shield her eyes from the residual glare of the clouds. The wind felt good, it was a warmer day than she had thought it would be. He stood next to her, looking instead at the tree line for movement. The storms sometimes stirred the walker activity. Look what happened last time. They got in the yard.

She glanced over at him and saw where he was looking. "You see something." She craned her head to see exactly where he was staring.

"No." He shook his head and turned to her. "We better go."

They put the tools away and got down the access panel as the first big raindrops began to fall. They walked slowly down the stairs, watching the windows behind them flash with lightning and stir black. They took one last look and got on the elevator.

"Come to my room before dinner." He said quickly out the side of his mouth, giving her no opportunity to react at all before the elevator doors opened and and he stepped out in front of her, his usual cocky attitude back in full force. He strolled over to Sam, Dean, and Rick on the couches as she headed back to the control room to return the panel manual.

Shane was standing by the desk, looking at the screens intently as she came in. He glanced over and grinned. "Hey."

"How was it?" She asked, sliding the manual back into its slot on the bookshelf and coming to stand next to him.

"Not as good as I would have hoped. A couple rabbits." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "You just come from the roof?"

She nodded. "Saw you come in. I got the panels done. I was right. The heavy rains had put them off kilter." She rubbed her eyes tiredly and sighed. "What are you looking for?"

He shrugged. I thought I heard something behind us at the end, trailed us maybe, but I couldn't check it out with the rain comin. Figured I'd just watch here and see if anything came of it."

She nodded. "Haven't seen anything though? Could have been a deer, could have been an echo through the trees. You know Dean walks like a freakin' elephant."

"Yeah, probably nothing." He said, sighing and looking down to be sure the alarm was set. "Let's have dinner."

"I'm gonna change, ok? I've got panel grease and dirt all over me." She looked down at her blackened fingertips and black specked shirt.

"Ok. I'll make sure they save you something." He grinned down at her and he headed into the kitchen. She went down the hall quickly, ducking into Ian's room. He wasn't there, but there was folded envelope on his bed that said "Take Me". She grabbed it and shoved it into her pocket. She checked the hallway and crossed quickly into her room. Sitting on her bed she slid the envelope open and scrap of paper came out. She picked it up and read, in Ian's dramatic handwriting, 'Let's actually have some fun tonight.'

She smiled a confused smile and looked in the envelope. She held it up and 3 tablets like ones Ian had given her fell out into her hand. She laughed out loud and shook her head. She tossed them in her mouth and took a drink from a glass of water next to her bed. She then quickly scrubbed her filthy hands clean and took off the greasy shirt, going to her closet to find something else. She sighed and pulled out a silk crimson halter top with a rose at the neck that she was especially fond of and never got to wear. But she felt like a little something different tonight. She realized her jeans had nice smear of grease on the thigh and she quickly changed into a dark denim pair that went beautifully with the crimson color. She slid on a pair of black flats and brushed her hair out, pulling it into a high ponytail, and headed to dinner.

"Oh, darling! You look lovely." Anne exclaimed as Trouble came in the door.

"Thanks, Annie." She grinned and grabbed her seat. Ian was looking at his plate, always so relaxed. Ha, she wondered why. Rick, at the far end, already had a glass of whiskey in front of him, and he kept shooting sideways glances at her and picking at his food. Shane, however, had the most startling look at the table. She quickly met eyes with him and knew that if if she was in a room alone right now, she'd find herself up against a wall in record time. She nodded at him, trying to get him to focus. Instead, he just scooted up closer to the table and threw his napkin over his lap. Oh lord.

The chatter was the usual, but Sam looked up and called to her. She looked up at him expectantly. "I'm sorry I didn't get up there to the roof. We can do it tomorrow, ok."

She nodded and swallowed her bite. "Don't worry about it. Didn't take long at all. Ian helped out."

"They're all done?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Yeah. I mean I might have to tweak one or two, but... yeah."

"Wow." He nodded appreciatively. "Awesome. And, uh... Ian helped?" He and Dean began laughing into their dinner.

"Hey!" Ian barked at them and they stopped. "I held the screwdrivers." They burst out laughing so hard that everyone else started giggling, and when Dean almost fell off his chair, T-Dog started crying. "I do not get enough credit around here." Ian raised an eyebrow at the table.

Shane was laughing, but it wasn't a genuine, hearty laugh like the others. It was still tempered by desire coming off him in waves. She smiled at him, and he looked like he wished she was on his plate. She, however, was starting to really feel the effects of the pills. Things were a little bit brighter, little bit softer, and she had a pleasant warmth in her body.

"Well, come on people. Let's get this going, huh?" T-Dog clamped his hands together and rubbed them excitedly. People started taking plates off the table and rinsing them in the sink. Ian got up slowly, Carol and Andrea were clearing the table of the leftovers. Shane stayed across from her, still picking off his plate and eye-fucking her. She cleared her throat and jabbed her head at him. He gestured for her to follow him and they picked up their plates and he took hers from her at the sink. She grabbed a soda out of the fridge, and floated, because they was how she felt, to the doorway. Walking through, she felt a hand circle her elbow and pull her hard down the hallway toward the control room.

"Shane, wait!" She yanked back hard on her arm. If he got her into that laundry room, she wasn't going to be coming out anytime soon. He turned and got in her face, backing her up against the wall.

"My God, baby..." He said, beer on his breath and fingers already under the back of her shirt and moving upward. "God, you are so fucking hot. I need you."

"Shane, listen, let's stay here a little while, and I promise you will get the ride of your life when we get back there, ok?" She ran her fingers across his stubbled jaw, and looked up into his eyes, trying to be as convincing as possible in her growing haze.

He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his crotch and she could feel like he might be painfully erect in his pants. He licked his lips and went over her face with his hooded chocolate eyes. "You promise?" He rubbed his lips over hers as he spoke, and she was praying no one would come down that hallway.

"I do." She whispered, kissing him. He groaned into her mouth and stepped back. He sighed and looked at her resentfully. "I'm gonna need more alcohol for this." He marched off toward the kitchen for a drink and she leaned against the wall, blinking her eyes quickly, trying to get a focus going. Then, she thought, what the hell? She leaned back and closed her eyes, letting the feeling wash over her and she breathed deeply. After a moment, she headed back to the sound of the music.

Everyone was there, even Carl, so people hadn't really gotten going yet. Alcohol was being passed around, but the voices were lower than they were going to be in a little while, and the music was tempered. Rick had another whiskey in his hand, and was watching Carl dancing with Carol playfully. He was the closest person to her and looked up as she passed. He tilted his head at her in greeting, and she smiled, trying not to feel his eyes on her as she moved away.

She scanned the room, moving over by the coffee table where Dean, Sam, T-Dog, Maggie, and Glen were sitting. Ian had grabbed a stool and a beer next to the group and she noticed there was a spare stool next to him with a bottle sitting squarely on it. She grinned inwardly and went to the stool, quietly taking the bottle and sitting down. They sat there together in silence for a moment before he casually leaned a little closer.

"Everyone is just so much more fun tonight." He said out the corner of his mouth.

"I would imagine so. Please tell me you didn't take more than me, because I stopped feeling my fingers about twenty minutes ago." She took a drink of her beer.

"Is that a problem?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

"Nope." He was playing with her, and she knew it. She raised an eyebrow at him, and focused on T-Dog, who was approaching her.

"DAMN, girl!" He grinned at her. "You are looking _fine_."

She tilted her head appreciatively. "Thank you. You having fun?"

"Yeah, but I'm hoping Carol gets Carl going here pretty soon." He glanced back, and almost on cue, they saw Carol leading Carl to the elevator. He was looking back at his father, who was slumped in the chair, glass in hand. Carol was obviously trying to keep him away from it, poor woman. Hershel, Anna and Warren, of course had left already, but Andrea headed down as well.

Shane stepped back from the hallway to the bedrooms, and Trouble realized it was the first time she had seen him since the encounter earlier. He looked around and she hopped off the chair and walked toward him.

"Shane, I'm worried about Rick." She said, and he glanced over at his friend. "He looks awful."

"Isn't that pretty much the usual now?" He said grimly.

She looked up at him. "Yeah, maybe, doesn't mean we should sit here and watch him drink himself to death in a corner."

He nodded, "I'll spend some time with him."

"Thank you." She said, her eyes big and soft. He took that earlier, dazed look in his eyes back for a moment, then headed over toward Rick. He pulled anther chair up next to him and sat down, saying something she couldn't hear because T-Dog had already blasted the music up. She turned and saw Maggie and T-Dog dancing, Dean and Sam had their usual positions on the couch, beers in hand.

It felt different to her at the moment, and she didn't think it was the pills. She stood there and looked around at the people, all in their usual positions, doing their usual things, nothing new at all. In fact, this night will happen again, everything will be the same. Their lives were on repeat, she realized. It was like an epiphany, and she felt her heart speed up, a panic started to spread through her. Her eyes widened and felt her arm being grabbed, but she didn't care by what, by who. It didn't matter anymore.

She found herself in the control room, looking up at Ian a moment later. She had no idea how they had gotten there. She looked up at him, staring into his blue eyes in terror. His own eyes were wide and concerned, and he had his face close to hers, his hands on her arms holding her up.

"Trouble, calm down. Calm down, babe. Trouble, do you hear me?" He was saying and she saw his mouth moving, but she almost couldn't hear him speak. She tilted her head, and looked at him, confused. Her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest.

"God, I shouldn't have given you so much. Trouble, please, come on." He shook her a little and she snapped to, and all the sound returned to her ears. She let out a breath, and something in her face must have changed because he let out a breath of his own and slumped a little. "Breath, ok? Take some deep breaths."

She did as he told her, keeping her eyes on him and her chest rose and fell deeply. "Good." He encouraged her. "Now, tell me what it was. What set you off?"

She licked her lips. "Dean and Sam are sitting on the couch drinking beer." She said simply and he frowned.

"And that sent you into the first panic attack I've ever seen you have? That is trippy." He looked completely confused.

"No," She let out a sigh and removed herself from his grasp. She walked away, and turned back to look at him sadly. "It's the same place they always sit. And T-Dog and Maggie are dancing, and Rick is in a corner, and the music is loud, and it's..." She shook her head.

"It's all the same." He said simply and she nodded, so glad he understood. "I was waiting for someone else to see it."

"When we were out there, we were fighting every day to just wake up again." She said, so afraid of the words coming out of her mouth. "But it was real. Out there, just now, I felt... like I was a echo."

He swallowed and tightened his lips, looking down at her. "I know. I've felt like that since we got here."

Her eyes widened. "My god."

He took a couple steps toward her, his face anxious and beautiful. He searched her face with his eyes. "You have held it together this entire time because you had to. Here, you actually have a minute to stop and think, and that's the most dangerous thing you can imagine."

"Why?" She asked, her heart in her throat.

"Because then you have to realize that the walkers aren't your only enemy." He said sadly, his eyes filled with sadness. "You have to figure out a way to live again when everything has changed and you're not the same person anymore."

She looked down at the ground, her head spinning. He put his hand under her chin and lifted her eyes to his. "You'll figure it out. You always do." He was smiling a little, his eyes loving and confident.

She watched him closely for a minute, and shook her head, smiling. "You sure about that?"

"I am. Do you feel better?" He asked, taking a step back, even though he truly didn't want to. But making a move after something like that would have been suicide.

"Yeah." She said quietly, but he knew she was lying. She'd cry herself to sleep that night, and he wouldn't be the one to hold her and tell her everything was going to be ok. "I'm just going to sit here for a while."

He didn't push. "You know where to find me."

She nodded and he quietly left the room. She sat down in the chair and spun absently. Her buzz was diminished, but still there, and she let her eyes drift absently to the screens. They flickered with the night vision colors, but it looked like it had started to storm. Lightening sparked the screens to life, and she could see the trees in the far west corner were whipping wildly. She watched it for a while, transfixed by the bright flashes like she was in a rave or something. A especially bright flash from the screen next to the one she was watching caught her eye and she sat up, not believing what she was seeing. A large oak on the back west was on fire, she could see it clearly in the screen, the flames licking up to the sky. She stood and her mouth dropped open when she saw a large chunk of the tree begin to fall and landed on the concrete wall, creating a very nice bridge right into the yard. Flames began to spread in the trees as the alarm began to sound. She hit it, turning it off. The music out there would have drowned it out anyway, but Warren and Anna would have heard it.

"Not a false alarm, Warren. Please come up here." She called down to him and darted out of the room. Her expression caught Ian and Shane's attention and they got to her side in a second.

"Back west is on fire, a tree got struck by lightening and it's over the wall. Anything can get over now." She was focused, but her eyes told her true panic. Shane's face went blank and he ran to the control room. "We have to get out there now." She said to Ian. Dean had noticed the exchange and the music cut quickly.

"Gear up, we're all going out." She said to the room and she took off to her room. She was grabbing a jacket and was throwing it on when she heard Ian.

"Is it bad?" He asked from the doorway and she turned to look at him.

"I think so." She nodded and was startled when he crossed to her in two large strides and grabbed her face, his lips firmly landing on hers. It was just a moment, but she felt the world drop out from under her. He was back in the doorway looking at her the next time she blinked.

"Be careful. See you out there." He said with his sideways grin and vanished, and she stared at the spot he was standing in in shock. Wha...? She shook her head and put it away, grabbing her boots and shoving them on. She ran back to the control room, where people were filing out with weapons and heading up by the elevator. She ran past them and came up behind Shane, who was watching the screen intently. The fire was being contained by the intense rains, but she could clearly see several shambling figures coming across the yard.

"Oh my God." She breathed and he looked down at her.

"The roof is not an option, and if we open the gate..." He was saying, shaking his head.

"They're not near the gate yet. If we get out there now, we can meet them in the yard." She said and spun to grab her Glocks from the wall. She grabbed her holster and shoved them in, going for the clips next. Shane stepped in front of her as she headed for the door.

"No." He said, and she lost her breath. Are you kidding?

"Do NOT do this right now, I am warning you." She said in a low, deadly voice that seemed to startle him. "This is my home, Shane. Stand with me."

He looked at her intently for a moment. He frowned, but gave her a short nod and followed her to the elevator. "Will you at least try and stay near?" He asked in her ear as they went up.

"Yes." She nodded and he leaned back, letting out a deep breath. They met the first group in the lobby and got as close to the door as possible so limit the amount of time it was open.

"Now, we're going to stop at the last bunker on that side of the house and get the chainsaws out, then get to the wall and cover the people cutting the branch, got it?" Shane was calling out to the group. Stay close, cover each other. T-Dog, you and Sam are going to cut the branch, do it fast. Just get it off that wall."

"They are halfway across the west field, you are clear at the gate." Warren's voice came across the speakers. They waited with baited breath, and she felt someone press very closely to her back. She didn't have to look to know it was Ian. She felt him squeeze her hand gently and the door began to roll back.

The rain was almost blinding, making the grass slippery, and it was _cold_. So cold that within a few minutes she stopped feelings her fingers and toes, and it moved up from there. They moved quickly in a line across the field, covering as much territory as possible and staying out of each other's line of fire. She found herself between Shane and Ian, and she kept her eye off both of them, focused on the threat at hand.

The topped the crest and began firing. The flashes of the gunfire being the only indication they were firing, the storm drowned everything else out. She had water running in her eyes, but she kept them narrowed and had her gun aimed at a walker a few yards away. It dropped, and she aimed at the next one. They continued to move forward slowly mowing the walkers down efficiently. There were two dozen in the yard at least, but they were dropping all over the place.

She saw Ian reloading out of the corner of her eye and she aimed at a dead man headed his way, bursting its head like a firework. Ian looked at her in that wordless communication she and he shared with Dean and Sam, and they both aimed at two walkers headed down the west wall. Shane moved up beside her on the right and they made it to the bunker. Ian had keys and brushed the rain away from his face as he opened the door. Trouble stayed in front of them firing at the figures still shambling from the fallen trees. There weren't many now, but they were still coming over. Flames were high in the sky from the trees and the branch that had fallen over was massive. It had taken out a good two feet of the top of the wall and would have taken more if not for the strength of the thick wall. She looked at it breathlessly, it looked like a war scene.

"Go!" Shane called out and T-Dog and Sam moved up past Trouble and the rest of them covered the men as they got to the wall. Shane stayed at her side, his shoulder brushing against hers often. She looked over at him as they stopped and he seemed to be in slow motion. He was huge, the water was running off of him in sheets, and he raised his hand to wipe it out of his eyes as he raised his gun and fired at a figure coming over the wall. He turned his eyes toward her and he blinked, and gave her a short nod. She nodded back and fired at a walker to his left, and then all the ones that were in the yard so far were gone. It was just covering them and waiting for the branch to be done.

She couldn't hear the chainsaws, and she wasn't sure if it was because of the storm or adrenaline. She wiped the rain from her eyes and looked over to see Dean moving down the wall a little. She grabbed Shane's arm and pointed to Dean, and Shane moved off a little in Dean's direction. He knew she didn't want him going to far alone. She turned and looked back toward Ian, who was aiming at another walker coming over. There was another after that and she took it, and for a moment, they stood there, side by side, firing over and over.

A huge crack of thunder shook the ground and the sky lit up, and a huge fireball exploded in the tree just to the left of the one that they were working on, but a little further back in the woods. At the sound, they all ducked, stunned for a moment, but she felt Shane back by her side, and she watched Sam finish a huge chunk of the tree with his chainsaw. They worked quickly, and soon the branch was off the ground, but part of it was still on the wall. The walkers were getting over by crawling up the tree on the other side. Shit.

She looked over at Shane and he shook his head at her. She nodded and stood back while Dean grabbed a rope ladder from nearby and threw it over this wall. They covered him while he climbed up it and scaled the wall. He peered over and jumped back down, running to Sam and shouting something. Sam nodded and gestured for T-Dog to follow him. They moved to stand on parts they had already cut so they could reach the top of the wall. This was going to be the dangerous part. They were right in the line of fire.

She, Shane and Ian stayed packed and close, aiming at anything that even remotely came to the top of the wall, and Dean went back to cover from the top of it. She kept a keen eye on the grounds to the right and left though, because walkers had come over before when the wall wasn't even compromised. But the noise here seemed to be drawing them around the wall and to this spot. They were fewer now, she had no idea why there were this many in the area anyway.

T-Dog's chainsaw pulled away from the huge branch and they watched it slide back and disappear from sight. He and Sam moved back away from the wall and they all watched the big dent in the top and Dean, who was still shooting from the top of the wall. Finally, he stopped, breathing heavily, and looked back them, nodding. It had worked. He dropped to the ground and they huddled together, all of them, lips blue and shivers so bad they looked like seizures.

"It's good. It rolled away from the wall. There are a few down there but they're not climbing." He shouted and Shane nodded.

"Get back, fast, but keep your eyes open. Ian, Sam, watch the back." He said and they all headed back toward the bunker. Ian stepped to the door to open it and she looked over just in time to see a walker com around the corner on the other side. She didn't think, she felt her heart stop and her arm raised, firing automatically. Ian and the walker jerked back from the building at the same time, the walker dropped like a stone. She didn't even see it, though, all she could see was that Ian was holding his side and had dropped to the ground.


	19. Glad you're not dead

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

She couldn't even scream, she just got to his side, Dean fast behind her. She flew to her knees next to him and grabbed him, trying to turn him toward her. His face was pained, and he was holding on to his left upper arm tightly. She touched it and pulled back bloody fingers. She felt like she were in a dream. She looked from her fingers, back up to Ian.

Shane and Dean got to his side and pushed her out of the way. She fell back, blinking slowly, her eyes wide in horror. She had shot Ian. Dean made a gesture and they got Ian to his feet. The chainsaws forgotten, they hustled back over the hill. No walkers came after them. The gate slid back just before they got to it and they all ducked in quickly. Dean got Ian to the stairs in the lobby, the silence after all that noise deafening.

"Let me see it, man." Dean was leaning over him, Sam and Shane close behind. She just stood there, feeling every bone in her body turn to jelly. Her brain had evaporated in her skull and she had tunnel vision. They got him up and he walked by himself to the elevator, Shane turned and looked down at her, concerned.

"Hey, no, it's ok." he grabbed her and shook her to attention. "Hey, you just grazed him. He's barely hurt."

"I shot him." She looked up at him with wide eyes. He waved the others to go in the elevator and she stayed there in the lobby with him.

He laughed lightly. "No you didn't."

Her brain started to work again. Thank god. "He's never going to let me forget this." She said and Shane burst out laughing. He gave her a big hug and kissed her.

"Maybe he won't but I'm thinking of sending you flowers." He said. "You were amazing out there." She smiled, wiping her wet hair off her face. "You're freezing. Let's get you warmed up." He said and she nodded.

The common room had a few people in it when they got down there, but they ignored them and headed for their bedroom. Ian's door was open and she could hear muffled voices from inside, but Shane swept her into their room and shut the door. Grabbing a nearby towel, he wrapped it around her before stripping off his own clothes and dropping them into a pile on the floor. She dropped the towel and quietly stripped her own wet things off. Shane grabbed a oversized shirt from nearby and she pulled it over her head. He pulled on a pair of dry pants and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead.

"Stay here. I'll be right back, ok?" He said and ducked out the door, closing it behind him. She stood there a minute before grabbing a pair of shorts from a chair. She put them on and sat down on the bed. She put her head in her hands and tried to keep the tears from coming. She heard the door swing open but she didn't have the energy to look up.

"You shot me." She heard Ian's voice and her head snapped up. Her was leaning against her door frame, that half grin on his face, his eyes sparkling. She was to him before he could blink, throwing her arms around him. She was shivering and he held her a moment, stepping into the room a little. He chuckled and she looked up into his face. He looked amused.

"Tell me the truth." He leaned in close to her ear. "It was because I kissed you, wasn't it?"

"My god, Ian." She sighed and let go of him, but let her head rest on his chest. "I am so sorry."

He shrugged. "I'd be missing a large piece of flesh right now if it weren't for you, so what do you say we call it even."

She laughed out loud, stepping away from him and rubbing her face tiredly. "So, how bad is it?"

He looked down and pulled the sleeve of his shirt up a little, revealing his upper arm bandaged. "Grazed me. Didn't even hurt that much, tell you the truth, but Anna got some more good stuff out of her stash for me so I played it hard."

Shane came up behind him, two mugs in hand. "Hey, how you feelin', man?" He asked half heartedly, stepping around him to stand by Trouble.

"I'm good, Shane. Thanks." Ian leveled his eyes at Shane, who looked down at Trouble.

"See? Told you he was fine." He turned and sat the cups down, then turned and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Alright then. See you guys tomorrow." Ian lifted his eyebrows and backed away, his hands jammed in his pockets. She went to the door quickly before he could disappear.

"Hey." She said, and he turned around. "I'm glad I didn't kill you." She gave him a halfhearted smile.

"Always a nice sentiment." He gave her a little grin. "If you can't sleep, you know where I am." he turned and walked away. She sighed and closed the door. Shane handed her a cup and she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You know," She started, twisting the cup in her hand absently. "When Tanner died, it was like I wasn't there, you know? He got bit, I was holding his head in my hands and he just stopped breathing. It was done. Tonight... It would have been because of me. Someone in this house would have died because of me."

Shane knelt down in front of her and grabbed her knees. "You were amazing tonight. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't even have known the wall was down. You saved everybody's ass tonight."

She looked into his handsome face, and gave a small smile. She took a sip out of the cup. He had made her tea. She smiled at him and leaned in, kissing him. He responded immediately, taking her cup and sitting it aside. He grasped her shoulder and moved her further back on the bed, laying partially over her and kissing her. He pulled back a little and looked down into her face.

"I love you so much, you know that?" He said, stroking her cheek and studying her face. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, suddenly her brow furrowed and he tilted his head. "What is it?"

"I just remembered, at the party. Did, uh... I mean, you able to take care of the Rick thing?" She asked and he rolled over on his side, facing her on his elbow.

"It's going to take a lot more than that. I've never seen him like this." He said, rolling back on his back.

She put her head on his muscular chest and traced circles there. He grabbed her hand and held it tight. "Keep it up, Shane. Carl needs him."

"Yeah." He sighed.

"And you know what?" She murmured against his chest. "I think you do too."

He chuckled. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Funny to hear it though."

"Come on. Let's get some sleep." She said and he allowed her to lead him to the top of the bed and pull the covers over them. He spooned her tightly and they drifted off almost immediately.

Trouble woke up in a cold sweat hours later, looking around in a panic. She felt Shane's arm on her and had to fight for a moment to keep from jumping from the bed. She breathed and her heart began to slow down. She sighed and rubbed the dampness from her forehead. She glanced at the clock. 3:45. She moved out from under Shane's arm and got up, moving to the door. She slipped out into the hallway and made her way to the darkened kitchen. She moved across it easily, knowing where everything was, and grabbed a soda from the fridge. She popped it and took half of it down in one breath.

She made her way to the control room and heard a movement inside. She expected to see Dean or Sam maybe, definitely not who she saw sitting the chair.

"Rick?" She asked, her brow furrowed. He looked up quickly, startled. His eyes were red rimmed and tired, but he was sober.

"Hey." He said, sighing.

"Is everything ok?" She asked, coming into the room a few steps.

"You mean besides me being so trashed I couldn't get off my ass and help you guys out there?" He asked, his voice edged with bitterness. He leaned back in the chair and rubbed his forehead tiredly.

"Rick, you can't worry about that now. It's just going to make things worse." She said and he chuckled.

"Worse. Right." He gave a sarcastic smile and she felt anger bubble up in her.

"Yeah, Rick. Worse. Because guess what? It can get worse. And if you don't stop feeling sorry for yourself and snap the fuck out of it, it will. I promise you that." She slammed her can down on the desk and he jumped. She was pissed. She had gotten out there in the freezing rain and shot her best friend, and he was sitting here feeling sorry for himself?

"Tell me something, what kind of a cop were you?" She narrowed her eyes at him and he looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Were you brave? When you saw things go to shit did you run towards it, or did you hide? When you woke up in that hospital, did you get scared and run away, or did you get off your ass and find your family?" She spoke, and his face looked pained, but he seemed to understand. His face lost the pathetic quality it had taken the last several weeks and seemed to grow stronger.

"I found my family."

"Damn straight you did. And you got your group to safety. How many fathers tonight can say their son is sleeping in a bed nearby and fed and safe?" She got down and looked him in the face, and he stared her in the eye.

"Not too many." He said, his voice low and steady.

"You jumped down off a wall into a yard full of walkers to save my life. You made it all the way here, and so many people can say they are alive because of you, and you're going to, what? Just give up? Say that our lives aren't worth saving?"

"I never said your life wasn't worth saying." He said, his brow furrowed and his his voice rushed.

"Yes you are, because I know that there is going to be another day when I'm going to need help. I'm going to be stuck in a motherfuckin hail storm of shit, and I'm going to be out of options. And when that happens, you are going to come through and get me out of it." She had grabbed his hands and was looking so steadily into eyes that it shook him. He blinked at her and took a deep breath, sitting up in the chair. He nodded and she raised her eyebrows. She was getting through to him, she could tell.

"Alright, so do me a favor. Take care of yourself so you can do that because I don't want to die."

His shoulders dropped. He squeezed her hands and laid another palm on the side of her head, looking at her gratefully. "Thank you."

"Get some sleep." She said, standing up fully in front of him. He looked up at her clearly. "If I don't see you dressed and at breakfast early tomorrow I'll know. I saw a good man in you, Rick. That's the only reason you're here. I saw a brave, strong guy who knew how to live in this world, as screwed up as it may be. Don't prove me wrong."

He stood and looked down at her. He nodded. "I won't." He said. He moved to go, but stopped and wrapped her in a tight hug suddenly. He wasn't giving off the creep vibes he had been, it was a hug that people who have seen real shit can give. He left the room quickly and she sat down in the seat. It was warm from him, and she spun around, looking at the screen that showed the damaged wall. She stayed there till morning.


	20. What did you do?

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

When Shane woke and found Trouble gone, he glanced at the clock. 7 am. He thought about the events of the previous night, and he sighed deeply. What a screwed up night. But, he thought, Trouble had come through. Hell, she even shot Ian, so she double points for that. He chuckled and rubbed his face tiredly. He got up and got in the shower, and let the hot water get rid of the aches he felt in his muscles. He sighed, thinking of his discussion with Rick before everything went down. He hadn't realized just how far the man had fallen until he's stopped and paid attention to it.

He went to Rick's room before breakfast, intending to drag the man out whether he liked it or not, but as he opened the door, he was surprised to find him gone. It was only 8, he was never awake these days at this time. He started to go, but stopped and turned around, realizing what he was seeing. Rick's bed was made and neat, and there were no dirty clothes laying on the floor, trash scattered. It was actually pretty neat. Huh. Anna must have been up and around early.

He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee, wandering into the dining area. He stopped when he saw Rick at the end of the table, cheerfully talking to Carl and Carol. He was clean, he'd shaved, and his shirt was tucked neatly into his pants. Shane eyed him warily, and moved to his spot at the table slowly. He glanced across to Trouble, who was looking at him with a little smile. She wiggled her eyebrows at him and nudged her head toward Rick. Shane looked back at her wide eyed, confused, and gave her a little shrug of his shoulders. She chuckled into her coffee cup.

Ian had not let being shot get in the way of his appetite, as Dean was teasing him loudly. Ian grinned and responded that Trouble had only taken out his arm, not him stomach. They had apparently gone through the whole list of 'please don't shoot me' jokes because Trouble was starting to look a little exasperated. She finally picked up her plate and took it to the kitchen and Shane followed.

"What the hell is that in there, 'cause I know that ain't Rick." He asked in a low voice at the sink. She looked up at him and smiled brightly.

"I guess you're better than you thought." She said quietly. She chuckled.

He narrowed his eyes at her, he knew her well enough to know when she wasn't telling him something. "What did you do?"

She shrugged, wiping her hands on a towel. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm going to go shower, and then I think we need to discuss how to fix that wall." She turned and left the room and he stood there, staring after her in disbelief. He turned and could just see Rick at the table. He was finished up a cup of coffee and laughing at something someone had said, and Shane grinned. Unbelievable.

Trouble showered quickly and threw on a clean pair of jeans and a red tee shirt that tied in the back. She put her hair in a messy bun and brushed her teeth, thinking about breakfast the whole time. Rick had really come through. She knew it had made him uncomfortable having everyone watching him quietly disbelieving what they were seeing, but he'd stayed strong and kept his chin high. It was going to take a while, but he was going to be fine. She could see that now. Seeing Shane's face was priceless.

She headed back out to the control room to check the solar panel output readings. It had been long enough, she would be able to tell if she needed to adjust anything more. Warren was watching the screens but it was otherwise empty. She grabbed her notes and stuck a pencil in the bun on her hair, grabbing the manual and studying it closely. She jotted a few things down and made some calculations, and she saw that indeed, it had helped. They were up a quarter from where they were before. There was one number off, and she tapped the paper absently, biting her lip. She thought she knew just where it was wonky too. One of those panels had been looser than the rest, and she'd already adjusted it twice. She was going to have to figure out how to keep it steady.

She frowned and grabbed her notes, the manual, a walkie, and a white jacket she kept in the room for when she needed to go out quickly. She quietly made her way to the elevator and to the lobby. She skipped up the stairs quickly and was up the ladder and on the roof in a minute. She went to the tool cabinet and got a screwdriver and a couple things she thought might help and made her way to the panel she thought might be the problem. She was just getting into it when her walkie crackled to life.

"Trouble, you copy?" Warren's voice called over the walkie.

"Copy. What's up?" She called back.

"Location?" Came the response.

"Roof." She answered, anxious to get back to her work. She clipped the walkie on the waistband of her jeans and got down on her knees to inspect the settings.

Ian climbed through the access panel and onto the roof, looking around for Trouble. He wandered along the edge, and he heard a shuffling of gravel to his right. He moved around the panels and saw Trouble on her knees working with one of the panels. She had stuck pencils in her hair and she was furiously biting her lip as she worked. He smiled, watching her. He loved this.

She sat back, clapping her hands on her knees and sighing. She grabbed her notes and one of the pencils out of her hair, making a quick note before sticking the pencil in her mouth and checking the manual. She was so engrossed he could have stood there forever and she wouldn't have noticed. He gave a light cough, and she looked over at him, pencil still in her mouth. He grinned and walked over to her, his hands stuck in his jeans pockets and a cocky grin on his face.

"These things make that much of an impression on you, huh?" She took the pencil out of her mouth and grinned at him. Her sunglasses reflected his image back to him like a mirror.

"What can I say, I'm a sucker for shiny things." He shrugged, crouching down next to her. "Giving you a problem?"

She looked at it and sighed. "Not much I can do. The mounting is loose somewhere on the inside. It's got to be a manufacture error but I don't think they are open today."

"Bastards always leave early." He said seriously and she chuckled, leaning forward to lift the edge of his sleeve, exposing the bandage.

"How does it feel?" She asked.

"I told you it was fine, but if you want to go ahead and kiss it and make it better, that'll work too."

"Smartass." She smiled and leaned back. "Anything going on down there?"

"Well, Anna's making lunch. Tuna. Yum." He said with a grimace. "And there's a pod person that's pretending to be Rick Grimes. I'm trying to get a group of angry villagers together. You want to carry the torch?"

"He does seem to be doing better." She said, focusing back on her manual. He watched her for a second, and pulled the book away from her.

"You wouldn't know anything about it, would you?" He raised an eyebrow at her knowingly.

"Why would you think that?" She looked up and tilted her head.

"Because, my dear, I have learned that when there is great change... you are usually involved in some way. Deny it." He said with a smirk.

"Maybe I talked to him a little. It's no big." She shrugged it off and tried to take the book back. He held it away from her and she sighed and looked at him. "What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal? Are you kidding?" He asked, getting up and walking away from her. He stopped and stared at the ground, silent. She got up, confused, and stepped toward him. Before she could say anything, he looked back up at her and shook his head. "The big deal is, you just gave a kid back his father. You should see him down there. He's playing with Carl like he's 12. The kid is over the moon. And," He stepped toward her and laid a hand on her cheek. "And it's because of you."

She stepped back, embarrassed. "Please, Ian. It was his choice. I just told him it was time to make it. I take no credit for that."

"Of course you don't."

"What?" She asked, adjusting her glasses

He stepped forward and used his thumb to wipe a spot of black from her skin. He stared at her closely and sighed. "You done up here?"

"Yeah." She said softly.

"Ok, come on." He put his arm around her and they walked back to the access panel together. They made their way into the common room, and they were not even noticed, there was so much activity. Rick and Carl were on the couch engrossed in a video game, car racing or something, and they were screaming with laughter and competition. Rick was totally into it, he was laughing like she had never seen. Sam was a third player, and he was trying to get past them, but Carl and Rick were on one team, and they were working together to destroy him.

She let out a deep breath, and walked past it all and down the hall to the control room. It was empty, but Ian had followed her. She had such a lump in her throat, she just took the jacket off and tossed it in the corner and set about jotting her notes in the panel books. She grabbed the manual and put it away, finally turning to face him.

"I'm really happy for them." She smiled. "But I want you to drop it, ok? I'm really tired."

He held up his hands. "Not pushing. You know me."

She laughed and walked by him. "Yeah, rethink that one." She patted him on the arm as she passed, but she noticed the kitchen light was still on. She went in and saw Anna wiping the counter down.

"Anna-banana!" She called out more cheerful than she felt. She went to the sink and started washing the grease from her hands. Anna came up beside her to rinse her rag out. Trouble grabbed a dishtowel and dried her hands off.

"Are you hungry, dear? You skipped lunch." Anna smiled at her.

"No, not really." Trouble smiled. "Thanks anyway. But if you still need those bulbs changed in the laundry room I can do it now. I'm kinda on a roll."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Yes, that would be wonderful. And if you could take a look at the dryer cord as well, I would appreciate it. I'm afraid it's becoming terribly worn."

"You got it." She kissed Anna on the cheek and headed back to the laundry room. She grabbed a box of bulbs from the closet and a chair. She was in the middle of replacing the burnt out track lighting bulbs in the ceiling when Shane stuck his head in.

"There's my girl." He said cheerfully, and she looked down.

"Hey." She said, screwing a new bulb in. It flickered to life and she came down off the chair as he came across the room. He put his hand on her cheek and kissed her. She smiled and picked up the chair and moved it a few feet before hopping up on it again.

"Where you been? I haven't seen you." He asked, watching her. She unscrewed the bad bulb and she looked closely at it.

"I was on the roof. The solar output is back up but there's a bad panel. I got it to the best angle it can go I think. At least until the end of winter." She said, screwing the new one in. It came to life and she came down off the chair. She tossed the bad bulbs in the trash and put the box back in the closet.

He watched her work, his face slightly concerned. "You're keeping awfully busy."

"Gotta get this stuff done, you know?" She forced a smile. "What are you up to?"

"Actually, Rick wants to go hunting." He was grinning. "So we're headed out in a little bit."

She frowned. "So close before dark?"

"Only be gone a little while. Don't worry." He smiled and kissed her again.

"Be careful, ok?" She said and he shot her a salute as he left. She sighed and went back to the closet. She pulled a box out of the closet and got down on her knees to go through it. It had spare parts, extension cords and things in it and she dug to the bottom and couldn't find what she was looking for. She sat back and sighed. Shoving the box back in, she headed back to the kitchen.

"Hey Anna?" She called out.

"In here." She heard from the dining area, and she found Anna setting the table for dinner. "I'm going to need to go to the supply bunker for that cord."

"The supply bunker?" Anna stepped forward, concerned. "Are you sure that's safe with the wall being broken the way it is?"

Trouble shrugged and grinned. "You know I'm careful. And I go with backup."

Anna nodded tentatively. "Alright then. Thank you, dear."

"No problem." Trouble answered as she left the room and headed down the hall. The boys were still playing with Carl but she noticed Rick had gone. He was probably getting ready to leave with Shane and she didn't want to take them away from the boy. She headed down towards Ian's room and knocked.

He came to the door and seemed pleased to see her. "Hey." He stepped back so she could come in, but she shook her head.

"Hey. Actually, I could use a hand with something."

"Ok, well, how about you come in and tell me what it is first." He said holding out his hand. She sighed and walked in, flopping in a chair that actually still had a visible seat. He offered her a beer and she took it. He sat down across from her on the bed and took a drink of his own. He lit a cigarette and she came to sit next to him on the bed, taking it from him when he offered it.

"What is this you need help with." He asked.

She handed the cigarette back to him. "I have to go to the supply bunker. The dryer still needs to be fixed and I think there are some cords out there."

He looked at her warily. "Will you be armed?"

She looked at him flatly. "Nevermind." She moved to get up and he laughed, pulling her back to her seat.

"I'm kidding. Finish your beer and we'll go." He smiled, punching her in the arm lightly.

She took a drink of her beer and shook her head, smiling. He handed her back the cigarette and she took the last drag, then emptied her bottle. She crushed out her cigarette and they headed to the control room to get a walkie and weapons. Warren was already there, and they loaded up on clips for the Glocks on their hips and headed out to the elevator.

"Where's Ranger Rick?" Ian asked on the way up.

"Hunting with Shane." She answered, double checking her weapon.

"Huh." Was all he said and they left the house in silence. She went to her Jeep and he hopped up in the seat as she started the vehicle. She drove fast and he held onto the roof as they bounced along. "Slow down there, speed racer." He joked and she smiled. She loved driving, and she never got to do it anymore. They drove past the fallen bodies of the walkers from the night of the storm. They hadn't had a chance to get them cleaned up yet, and it turned the normally beautiful grounds into morbid graveyard. She stopped by the supply bunker and Ian hopped out, retrieving his keys. She grabbed a knife from the console and followed him, her eyes alert on the surroundings. She kept her back to him as he unlocked the door and looked inside. He stood back and kept watch while she went in.

It was bright enough with the open door that she started digging around the shelves, looking for anything that would work for her purposes. She was inspecting a large gas heater when she heard him.

"Got any big plans tonight?" He leaned against the wall and kept his eyes ahead. She chuckled as she cut the cord from the machine.

"Thinking of seeing a movie. Maybe getting a burger after. You?" She said sarcastically.

"No, that sounds pretty good, actually." He said, shrugging. "What are we seeing?"

"How about 'Night Of The Living Dead'?" She said, moving on. "Maybe get some pointers."

"Doesn't the hero get shot in the end?" He paused. "Oh... riiiight."

"Ha ha." She picked past a group of shelves to the blocked back of the shed. She found a hulking grey metal box. A washer. From the 50's maybe, but.. "I can finish the job, you know." She called back to him. "Oh, God, it smells horrible back here."

"I'm hurt. And there are dead bodies all over the place. Not exactly fresh out here either." He made a face and coughed lightly.

She grunted as she tried to move the thing to the back, the cord that she saw looked perfect. She couldn't move it very far and had to squeeze past the shelves to reach the end. She coughed a little. "No, I mean, it's _really_ bad." She took the knife and felt with her fingers to the connection point in the back of the machine. She began to cut and severed it completely. She grinned and tugged, but it was caught in something. She yanked harder and the shelves next to the machine started to lean. She watched as they fell back against the rear concrete wall, sending small metal and glass things flying. The loud crash elicited an 'ahem' from Ian outside.

"If that wasn't loud enough for you I could always find a church bell to ring. Maybe... Big Ben?" He said loudly.

She tugged again, and she could see the cord was being pressed down by something. Small... grey and... "Oh my god!" She exclaimed and flew back, the cord in her right hand, her left reaching for something to catch herself. She flew backward into the shelves she had squeezed by and her hand landed flat on the sharp corner. Ian hadn't appeared behind her at that moment.

"What's wrong?" He blurted, turning her around.

She made a face. "I think I know why Bruiser hasn't set off the alarm lately." She grimaced and turned her head into his shoulder. He kept his arm around her but peered past her. He just saw the hunk of maggot infested fur and he let a disgusted sound out of his throat.

"Did you get what you needed?" He asked, backing out of the shed with her arm in his grip.

"I think so." She said, letting him lead her out. He went out first, looking around. When he was satisfied, he grabbed her hand and pulled. It was slippery and wet and he looked down at his hand as she came into the sunlight behind him. His hand was bright red with blood and his heart jumped into his chest. He grabbed her arm and raised it up and her face looked confused when she saw the blood on their hands.

"Did you cut yourself?" She asked and he grabbed her hand, turning it palm side up. A huge gash cut across the palm and she was dripping blood. "Oh." Was all she said.

"Oh." He repeated, looking at her incredulously. "You're joking, right? Do you ever go out and not come back bleeding?" He asked, locking up the door and leading her back to the Jeep.

She was slightly offended. "Yes. Often."

He grabbed a clean towel from the back of the Jeep and wrapped her hand in it, a frown on his face. He put her in the passenger seat and climbed around to the drivers side. Starting the car, she looked at the now bloody towel.

"Look at the bright side." She said and he looked over at her blankly. "It's not my shooting hand." She smiled and he groaned, pulling away towards the house.

Hershel finished the stitching up of her palm and wiped the last of the blood off her skin. She inspected the wound as he prepared the bandage. Ian was grumpy, but hadn't left her side since it happened. She kept trying to get him to smile, but he wasn't taking the bait.

"It's just the law of probability." He was ranting as he stood, arms crossed, watching Hershel bandage it tightly in white gauze. "Trouble gets out of bed, she is _probably_ going to end up bleeding."

"I don't think that helps, young man." Hershel said patiently.

"Thank you, Hershel." Trouble said, getting up.

"You're very welcome. Don't get it wet, and take some of these when it starts to hurt. Because it will." He said, handing her a small packet. She accepted it with a smile and left the kitchen table where the old man had been doing his work. She and Ian were almost put the door when he called to her and she turned around. "That is the second time I've stitched you up. Try to not go for a third, ok?"

She grinned and left the kitchen with Ian. "Told you." He said as they made their way down the hallway. He followed her right into her room and she chuckled. He was just a mess.

"It's my hand, man. I don't see why _you're_ so upset." She said, digging for a clean shirt in her bureau. She found one, a dark blue halter, and realized he hadn't responded. She looked at him, sitting on her bed, and he had a strange, hurt look on his face.

"You don't know why I would care if you got hurt?" He asked. He narrowed his eyes and stood up. He walked to the door and she jumped in front of him. He backed up and glared at her.

"Ian, that's not what I meant, and you know it." She said, her good hand pressing on his chest. He resisted, and she moved closer, putting her arms around his neck and pressing her head into his neck. "I know how much you care. Please don't take it like that."

She held him until she felt him soften a little and he put his arms around her waist, holding her tightly. He kissed her hair and sighed. "You got to quit doing this to me. I'm getting old before my time."

She laughed, letting him go. He stuck his hands in his pockets and wandered back to the bed while she slipped into the bathrooms. She came out dressed in a blue halter top and black shorts, and her hair was neatly back in the ponytail. She looked like a lithe tennis player, and he grinned. Looking at her you wouldn't know things like tennis didn't exist anymore.

He grabbed her remote and turned on the music and she looked at him, surprised. She raised an eyebrow and gave a little smile. "80's hair metal. Very nice."

"Skid row, and normally I wouldn't, but it just seemed right." He shrugged and watched as she danced a little and picked up the dirty clothes from her floor, singing along and bobbing her head.

"You have spent all day in warrior mode and now you're like a flying chipmunk. What gives?" He finally had to say it.

"Maybe I'm bipolar." She looked up and her eyes went wide. "Do you think?"

"Maybe. But I like this side better." He leaned back. "So what did Hershell give you?"

"I don't know, I didn't look." She said, going to the dresser and grabbing the packet from the top. She came and sat next to him on the bed and opened it, shaking them out in her hand. "Looks like Vic."

"The way you're going, you better get started. That is going to smart soon." He advised and she took three of them and popped them in her mouth, swallowing with some water she had next to her bed. She held them out to him. "Your arm."

He nodded and she offered the water. He swallowed and grinned. "Well, tonight should be fun."

She chuckled and went to gather the large piled of clothes and dump them in the hamper. "I'm going to get something to drink. You want?" He nodded and she left the room. He looked around the room, at the bed. It was rumpled and he could see which side was hers and which was Shane's. The thought made him mildly ill, too think he was sitting where that moron slept. He gave the man's side a disgusted look and moved closer to her pillow. He leaned down and he could smell her shampoo. He leaned back up and smiled. His stomach was empty and the medicine was taking its effect quickly. He coughed lightly and blinking, rubbing his eyes with his fingers, hard.

"You ok?" She asked, holding a bottle out to him and he grinned. She had brought him a beer. She knew him so well.

"Yeah. You realize we have not eaten, right? This is going to make us fly higher than kites." He said taking it and cracking it open.

"Here's to hoping." She said flatly and took a long drink of hers. "Especially since I doubt anyone is going to want to drink in public places around here for a while, I thought this would be a good opportunity."

"Ah, because of Ranger Rick's new sobriety." He said.

"You got it." She said, putting her hand on her hip and looking around the room. "Let's go to your room. I don't want to stay here."

"Ok." He said, pleased. He clicked the music off and followed her out of the room. He shut the door behind himself and when he entered his room, she was choosing a book off his shelf and went to his bed, where she landed on her stomach and opened it in front of her. She put her bare feet up in the air and flipped through it, her face calm and beautiful.

He threw himself down next to her, on his elbow, and watched her for a minute. "Please tell me it's not quiet reading time."

"What do you want to do?" She closed the book and raised up, facing him. He raised an eyebrow devilishly and she scoffed. "Right."

"No, really." He laughed. "I thought we had a date." She looked at him, confused. "We were going to the movies, remember."

"Right, then a burger after, right?" She laughed. "You're right, but I don't see IHOP being open."

"That was after. One thing at a time." He admonished her, and she held up her hands, scooting back to be next to him on the pillows. She watched him, amused, while he flipped through the remote. The black and white screen came up, 'Night of The Living Dead'.

"Oh my god, you're kidding. I thought it was 'no zombie movies' around here." She laughed.

He put his arm around her and pulled her close. She smiled and let her cheek rest against his chest. "I think we can make an exception. If you want." He said, against her hair.

"Yes, please." She said and felt him nod. He only left her once during the whole movie, and came back with another beer for her. The lights were down and the movie was surreal. She felt light and peaceful and sleepy.

"Don't go to sleep, yet." He whispered in her ear as the ending credits.

She was laying almost completely across his chest, his arm, the one she had shot, holding her tightly against him. "I'm not." She opened her eyes and saw the time. 7:54. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, trying to get a focus. She woke up a little and looked back at him, at his surprised face. "It's getting dark."

"Yes, that's usually what happens." He said, his face darkening a little. She wasn't thinking of him right now.


	21. Off her chain

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

"I'll be right back." She said and got up quickly. She left the room and he slammed his hand down against the pillow she had been against. If he wanted mid afternoon secret cuddles, he was doing just fucking fine. But that wasn't what he wanted. He growled and sat up, tossing back the rest of his beer, the rest of hers, and glared at the wall.

The house was stirring for dinner when she got to the common room. Dean and Sam sat on the couch and she walked over to them. "Where's Shane?" She asked.

"Haven't seen him." Sam said.

Dean looked over his shoulder at her, his face serious. "They haven't come back yet. But it's not quite dark yet."

She frowned and went to her room, pulling on a pair of sneakers. She walked to the control room, where Warren sat quietly watching the monitors. "Anything?" She asked and he shook his head.

"Quiet as can be, young lady."

"Have you called to them?" She asked.

"I try not to do that, unless it's absolutely necessary. In case they need to be quiet." He said. He was right. She looked at the walkie base longingly. Sighing, she grabbed a stool and sat down behind him, watching as the sun faded in the screens and the night vision took over.

An hour. Her skin was on fire. "Screw it." She picked up the walkie base and pushed the button. "Base to Shane." She said simply, in case Warren was right. She waited. Nothing. "Base to Shane."

"If they don't answer in an hour, we'll go look." Dean was in the doorway, his face concerned. Anna came up behind him and brought a plate of food in to Trouble.

"Dear, you haven't eaten all day. You have to, or you're going to collapse." She pushed the plate at Trouble and she looked down at it. Burgers.

Anna leaned in. "He knows how stressed you've been. It was going to be a surprise." He kissed Trouble on the top of the head and clucked her way out the door. Trouble stared down at the plate and felt her stomach go noodely. God, Ian.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked back at the monitors. It had been dark over and hour and a half now, and something had to be wrong. She put the plate down and picked the walkie base up, trying again.

"It's time." She looked at Dean a little while later. "We're going." He nodded and he and Sam began to gather their weapons. She pulled on a pair of thick pants and a jacket, and put her two Glocks on her hips. They made their way up to the elevator and were to the gate when Warren's voice came over the speaker.

"Wait." He said and they froze. "They're coming in the gate now. Looks like they caught something."

She stopped and stared at Dean and Sam. "They're ok?" She called out.

"Yes, perfectly. Shane just radioed in." Warren answered.

"And he said what?" She blurted.

"Just that they were back. Took a little longer than expected." Warren's voice was tentative and she knew he was holding back. She felt the anger bubble up in her stomach and she let out a breath between her clenched teeth. She turned and went to the elevator, smashing the button hard. She couldn't get into it fast enough and when it closed behind her, Dean let out a low whistle.

"Man, I do not want to be him tonight."

"Or ever again." Sam agreed. They looked back as the gate slid back, and the door opened. Shane was laughing as he led Rick inside, and the gate shut behind them. The men stopped when they saw Sam and Dean standing there, fully armed and dressed. Shane's smile faded, as did Rick's, and he frowned.

"What's wrong?" He said quickly.

"Are you two ok?" Sam asked, frowning.

"Yeah, lost track of time a little. Caught a 3 pointer though." Shane grinned.

"You are serious." Dean said slowly. "Man, you are such an asshole."

Shane narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"You do realize that we were coming out to look for you. And Trouble was ready to walk out that door a minute ago to save your ass because you couldn't call back and let her know you were ok. She just went down, and I, for one, would not go after her if I were you." Dean shot at him. He was livid. To do something like that to his cousin was unforgivable.

Shane's face fell, and he began heading towards the elevator.

Trouble didn't even knock when she let herself into Ian's room. He was sitting up in bed, reading a book, and shot her a blank look when she entered.

"Problem?" He said. He knew what was going on, and he was just as pissed as she was, but he was still stinging from earlier.

"I'm sorry." She said, sitting down on the edge of his bed, close to him. "You made tonight really special and I ruined it."

"I tried." He said, his eyes on the pages, but he wasn't reading.

"Ian, please." She pulled the book away from him and he sighed. "Please talk to me."

"Why? So you can come and vent all you want and then run away? Because I got to tell you, it's not that fun." He said giving her a sarcastic smile and standing up, walking away.

"No." She said, going to him and putting her arms around his waist. He wanted to pull away, but couldn't. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood there, her face pressed against his back. "I'm not running away."

He turned toward her, angry. "You're here because you're pissed at him. That's not how it goes, Trouble. When you come, you come because you want to."

She looked up at him, broken. She looked down at the ground and nodded. "I'm sorry." she said, and swiftly left the room. He hissed at the empty room and punched the wall. God damn it.

Trouble ducked into Dean's room just as the elevator dinged and Shane rushed out. She heard him pass in the hallway behind Dean's locked door, heard her bedroom door open and Shane calling her name. The rest of the house had gathered nonchalantly in the kitchen and common room, and Carol had seen Trouble duck into Dean's room. She went to Dean quietly and whispered, and he nodded his thanks. He went to Sam and spoke low. Sam gave a slight nod and crossed his arms over his chest, watching Shane coldly.

Shane came from the hallway and went into the kitchen. "Anna, where is she?" He asked Anna, who was wiping down the counter, Trouble's uneaten plate waiting for the girl when she came back.

"I'm sure I don't know, Shane." She said softly, her eyes on her chore. She was so disappointed in the man she could cry. Imagine, doing that to poor Trouble.

Shane came back into the common room, his shoulders falling. "Do you know?" He asked Sam, then Dean. Sam shook his head, exasperated.

"Man, she don't want to be found, you're not going to find her." He said and walked off to Ian's room. Dean glared at him silently and stalked off to the kitchen. Shane stood there a minute, looking at Rick. It had been such a good evening. Talking to Rick like it was old times, having that back... he'd lost track of time. He'd heard the walkie, and he'd been too wrapped up to answer. What an idiot move.

"She'll come back." Rick walked up to him and got close, speaking low. "Just give her time to cool off."

"Yeah." Shane said, his face set, stoney. He threw his arms up in the air and went to their bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Rick went to find Carl, and Dean carried Trouble's plate and a few bottles of beer out of the kitchen. Quietly, he went to his door and did the tiny little knock he and Trouble used out on the road to identity each other. The lock clicked and he let himself in, closing it behind him. He carried her plate and the bottles to the table and sat down on the edge of the bed, watching her pace, her hands on her forehead in frustration.

"What a complete asshole!" She hissed and he nodded. "I can't believe I let him... And I'm no better." She looked at Dean, shaking her head. "I'm a total bitch. Poor Ian surprised me with dinner and I rushed off for Shane. Now he's pissed. God, Dean." She fell onto the bed beside him and put her head in her hands. "This is so fucked up."

Dean looked at her, frowning. He put his hand on her back and rubbed it. "It's going to be fine, you're really pissed off right now and I don't blame you. And Ian is Ian. He never stays mad."

She sat up, rubbing the dampness from her eyes. "Yeah. But if he did I wouldn't blame him." She looked down at the bandage on her hand and rubbed it absently, remembering how Ian had stayed by her side. Dean stood and grabbed a beer, cracking it open and handing it to her. She took it and twisted it in her fingers, taking a long drink.

"Thanks, but if you got anything stronger, now would be the time." She said flatly and he chuckled. He walked to his dressed and grabbed a bottle of whisky and four glasses.

"You remember when we used to do this?" He said, sitting two of the glasses aside and putting two on the bed. She backed up and they sat facing each other on the bed, crossed legs, bottle in between.

"Yup." She said, downing her first glass in one gulp. She winced as it burned down her throat.

He poured two more shots and they clinked their glasses and downed them quickly. "I let myself get so wrapped up in their bullshit, Dean. I've lost you guys."

He chuckled, his eyes flicking up to the door. Sam and Ian were slipping in and he stifled a little grin. "Really? I didn't get the memo on that."

"I did. I never spend any time with you. And Ian is trying so hard to be supportive and I keep screwing it up. I have been horrible to him. I don't deserve to have him around." She said, downing another shot, and coughing lightly.

"Is it me, or did somebody finally see how rock star I am?" Ian said from behind her and her head whipped around, eyes wide. He was standing there, leaning against the wall, that sideways grin on his face. She flew off the bed and Dean laughed as he kept her glass from going flying. She flew into Ian's arms, hugging him tightly.

"I'm so sorry." She said, tears in her eyes. She backed up and looked up at Sam, hugging him too. "Sam, thanks for being ready to go out there. I can't believe I was going to put you two in danger for that... that... jackass."

"Yeah, I was going too." Dean said, setting up the other two glasses. She grinned and went to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.

"Yes you were." She said, smiling. The four of them got into a circle on the bed, Dean pouring for all of them. They took two each before anyone spoke.

"Been a while." Sam said from across from her.

"Since it was just us." She finished for him, her eyes going sad. Ian bumped her knee, winking reassuringly.

"Better late than never." He said, eyebrow raised.

"Here, here." Dean said, holding up his glass. They all held theirs up and together. "To the best damn fighting team from Cincinnati in the whole goddamn world!" He said loudly. They shot it back and he whooped. A knock came from the door and they froze, eyes on it.

"Trouble?" Shane's voice came from the other side. Ian grinned.

"Oh, I got this." He slid back off the bed and went to the door. Trouble sat and listened quietly, while Dean filled her glass again. She shot it back and fought the warmness and dizziness that so much alcohol so fast on an empty stomach will produce.

Ian fought a grin, planting a cold expression on his face as he opened the door a little. Shane looked surprised to see him, but recovered quickly.

"Trouble's in there, I know she is." He said shortly. "I need to talk to her."

Ian looked confused. "Um, well. I don't really know... let's see, hold on." He leaned back a little. "Hey Dean?"

"Yeah?" Dean called back, swallowing a shot.

"Hey, uh. You seen Trouble?" Ian asked lightly.

"Let me look." Dean said and Ian turned back to Shane holding up a hand.

"He's looking." He said, looking back at Dean for a moment. "No. Haven't seen her. Sorry." He started to shut the door and Shane's foot slammed against it, hitting Ian in the injured arm. Ian winced but held to the door fast.

"What are you going to do, Shane." Ian's eyes flashed dangerously. "You gonna break in here and drag her back to your cave? Because _that'll _win her over for sure."

Shane paused, his face red and angry. He looked at the shorter, younger man, and knew he could break him in half if he wanted. But Trouble was listening, so he backed down. He sighed, and put a hand on the door frame. "Trouble, I'm sorry. I really am. Please, please come talk to me, ok?" He backed up and frowned at Ian.

"That was beautiful." Ian said with wide eyes and shut the door on him. He turned back and Sam whooped him.

"Man, he was gonna kill you. You were playing with fire, boy." Sam laughed and handed him his glass as he sat back down. Trouble clinked her glass with his and they downed them together.

"Thanks." She said, giving him a smile, however hazy. He grinned back and winked.

"Anytime. That was fun."

Sam passed out in the armchair before the bottle was done, even with the four of them. Dean was laying across the bottom of the bed, out cold. Ian picked up the bottle and put the last little bit in each of their glasses. She was laying on her stomach with her head on the edge, resting it on her arms. He was sitting on the floor right next to her, his head resting against hers, forehead to forehead.

"Did you mean it?" She asked quietly, twisting her glass in her hand, watching it sparkle in the dim light.

He opened his eyes. He was dazed, drunk more on her presence than the whiskey. "What?" He said, moving his head a little.

"You said, "this isn't how it goes"." She spoke with a sigh. "How does it go?"

"I don't know." He paused before he spoke. "I wish I did."

She breathed in deeply and put her glass down, liquid still inside. "What a night."

He chuckled. "Never a shortage of excitement." He agreed and she smiled.

"I'm so tir-" She started to speak when Ian suddenly turned his head and his lips landed gently on hers. She froze, feeling his warm, soft lips begin to move against hers, taking hers in between his and nipping them gently. She parted her lips slightly and felt the tip of his tongue dance along the inside of her upper lip. She found her breath again and pushed her head forward a little, and he turned completely to reach her. He put her face in his hands and pushed his tongue in to caress hers, and finally pulled back, sucking gently on her bottom lip as he did.

She stared at him, the alcohol suddenly gone from her system, her heart in her throat, and knowing that his blue eyes were the most beautiful things she had ever seen. He looked back at her with an intensity she didn't know was possible, and this was coming from literally, THE most intense person she had ever known.

"Ian," She began but he pressed his lips briefly against hers again. Pulling back, he spoke.

"You don't have to say anything. I just want you to remember, after all this is done, just remember what you felt. No matter what you end up doing, just remember this." He spoke quietly, but it sounded so loud to her.

He smiled at her, that beautiful half smile, and she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. He stood up and held out a hand to help her up. She got on her knees on the bed and he pulled the blankets down for her. She got under and he pulled them up, but as he turned she grabbed his hand. "Aren't you staying?"

He grinned. "I didn't picture sleeping with Dean tonight."

"He's actually really comfortable." She said seriously and held out her hand. He took it with a raised eyebrow, but laid on top of the covers with her under. Having Sam and Dean wake up with them spooning might be a little awkward. He laid down and she rested her head on his arm into his neck. He was asleep before he could think any more.

When Ian woke up, hours later, the rest of them were still out like lights. He spent a moment watching Trouble. She had rolled back onto her back, her head toward him, hair over her face like a golden curtain, her bandaged hand palm up on the pillow beside her. He ran his finger over the edge of the bandage, remembering how upset he'd gotten with her. He brushed her hair back with his fingertips and smiled when he saw her nose scrunch up. She blinked and opened her green eyes, and when she saw him leaning over her she smiled and rubbed her face with her hands.

"Hey." She said, looking up at him. God, this was how he wanted to wake up every morning.

"Hey." He smiled, and they gazed at each other for a minute. She moved and her foot hit something. Her eyebrows went up and she lifted her head, looking down. It was Dean's head and she dropped her head again, laughing to herself.

"Wow." He moved back and she raised up, regretting it immediately. Her hand flew to her head. "Ohh... God." She frowned and remembered the night before. Putting her forehead in her hand again, she cursed slightly. "Damn..." She lifted her head again and narrowed her eyes. "I don't want to deal today."

"So don't." He said simply, sitting next to her. She looked down and saw his arm. Through the light blue shirt he wore the wound on his arm had begun to bleed again at some point, and a dark red crimson stain had spread in a small patch on the fabric. She frowned and looked at him, confused, then remembered Shane hitting the door, pushing it back. It must have hit Ian harder than she realized.

That was enough. She was suddenly filled with an anger deeper and stronger than anything she had felt the night before. Ian saw the change in her face and his stomach dropped, he knew that look. This wasn't Trouble, she had gone dark side. She stood up and walked to the door, and he smacked Dean, who sputtered awake with a start.

"What the hell, man? Why are you in my room?" He looked around. "Did we sleep together?"

Ian glared at him. "Yeah, and you were great. It's Trouble. She's off her chain, man. Looking for blood."

"Aw, hell." Dean sat up and groaned. "Not when I've got this bad of a hangover." He cursed and stood up, shakily. They headed out the door, following any sounds that might indicate someone being murdered.

Trouble opened the door to her room and stepped inside, her face cold and distant. Shane was sitting up in the chair, dozing. He'd been there all night, waiting, hating Ian for being so god damn smarmy. When she stepped inside, his eyes flew open and he was on his feet. He headed toward her, but a step or two before he reached her she looked over at him with the coldest expression he had ever seen, and it froze him to his spot. He blinked at her, watching her go to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. He went to the door and spoke, knowing she could hear him.

"Baby, please. I am so sorry." He was babbling as she brushed her teeth, brushed her hair out. "I know you heard me last night. I just want to talk to you. I told Ian." She threw the door open and glared at him, stalking past him.

"I know. He's still bleeding." She spat at him and grabbed a pair of jeans, yanking her shorts off and throwing them on.

"He's what? No, look..." He went to her and tried to put his hands on her shoulders. She pushed him away and winced, she had used the stitched hand.

"Don't touch me." She said, grimacing and shaking her hand out. She had realized how it was throbbing. He saw her hand and grabbed it, looking at it and then up at her.

"What happened?" he asked and she yanked it back away from him. She grabbed a dark gray tee and turned around so her back was to him before she took her top off. He noticed the modest gesture and realized she wasn't letting him back into any private parts of her life anytime soon. Not even seeing her body. He blinked and swallowed, feeling the air being sucked out of the room. She tugged it on and walked over to her nightstand and grabbed a couple of the painkillers Hershel had given her and swallowed them with the water she kept there.

He moved in front of her and stopped her. His instincts were taking over, and this wasn't going to end well. He felt threatened. He had already told her how he felt, how she was it for him. And now, she was going to leave him? Oh no...

"Wait." He said more firmly and she narrowed her eyes, looking up at him.

"You didn't care if I worried last night. Why would you care what I think now?" She asked.

"I lost track of time, baby. It was stupid, and I'd be pissed too, believe me. But you can't just shut me down like this. It's not fair." He said, putting his hands on her shoulders and staring her in the eye.

She blinked at him. "It's not fair." She nodded, processing that for a minute. She kind of smiled and shook her head, stepping back and glaring at him. "You know what's not fair? Sweeping into my home, into my life, and telling me I'm too careless. Telling me what I can and can't do, getting mad at me for doing what I've had to do to survive and attacking me for it. Remember that, Shane?"

Her voice had gone higher and was going higher. He backed up and she stepped forward, her momentum growing. "Remember how you grabbed me? How if I hadn't stopped you... Oh my God! And I just forgive you because you give me the 'I love you and you're everything to me' speech. You make me feel completely responsible for your mental wellbeing, and I can't fucking stand it! And how do you repay me for it? You watch me. Tell me, after I told you about the walkers at the fence that night, what were you hoping to find when you went back and rewatched the tape? Did you think I lied to you? Please, I would fucking love to know."

She paused and his mouth dropped open. How the hell did she know that? He felt guilty before, now he just felt like a guilty asshole. An even bigger asshole.

"But those same rules don't apply to you, do they? You're the big man, you take charge, don't you? Make sure you take care of your little lady. I'll tell you something, man, I took care of this place pretty fucking well a long time before you came along, and I can continue to do it. If you think for one god damned minute that you're going to tell me to do something and you don't have to, you better just take it and stick where the sun don't shine, because you sure as hell have a fuck's lot of nerve."

"That's my girl." Dean whispered in the hallway. The fight was clearly heard, and he and Ian only stood there to make sure she didn't kill Shane.

"What did she mean he attacked her?" Ian hissed, his eyes narrowed. If Shane had hurt her...

She had backed Shane to the bed and he had sat down on the edge, his eyes wide. No woman had ever talked to him like that, even Lori. It was imposing in a way he didn't know was possible from such a small person, but his love for her made her ten feet tall. He had lost her because he had been stupid and reckless. The things he had told her not to do because he would die. What right had he had here?

His shoulders fell, and he put his head in his hands. She heard him sniff, and cough. He rubbed his eyes hard and didn't say anything. She stood there and watched this big guy fall apart and she felt her heart bend a little.

"I think it's over." Dean said, walking away. When Ian didn't follow, he turned around. The dark haired man was staring at the door like he was Superman and had x-ray vision. "Hey." he hissed and Ian snapped his head toward him. "Come on, man." Ian followed him, shooting one last look at the door before heading out to the breakfast table.

Trouble approached Shane and stood before him, her voice returning to its low and steady tone. He looked up at her after a moment, his eyes wet and sad. "I was worried." She said simply. "And you didn't care enough about that to answer my calls. It's not like you came home late from a football game or something. Do you get what I'm saying?"

He nodded. "I do, more than you know." He rubbed his eyes hard.

"I was standing there with my family ready to walk out that door and into the woods to look for you. If I had gotten out there and something had happened to them, please understand that I would kill you, and I wouldn't think twice about it. If that makes me psycho, then sorry. But they have been by my side, all three of them, since Cincinnati. Fighting, protecting each other, working together. That's how we survived. But I don't think that's how your group works, and you're still part of that group. You made that clear."

He was afraid to ask, but he had to. "Do you want us out?" He asked, his heart already breaking. He felt sick.

"No. I wasn't lying when I told you I loved you, but I don't know if it's enough right now. I don't want to see anything happen to you, though, so here's how it's going to go." His stomach flopped and she continued. "I am going back to living my life. You will not comment about anything I do or anyone I do it with. If you check up on me once, _once,_ Shane, you are out, and I can do it. You will let me have time to figure this out because you have seriously damaged the future of any relationship we may have with your actions. You can take the bedroom across the hall."

She left the room and marched down the hallway, avoiding everyone's eyes as she did so. She made her way past the kitchen and into the laundry room where Anna had put the cords she had retrieved the day before and sat on a stool next to the dryer with a pair of wire cutters and pliers and set about her work.

She was wrapped up in her work when she heard a cough in the doorway. Anna stood there with a cup of coffee and a sandwich on a plate and was giving her a very motherly look.

"You didn't have to skip breakfast to fix this, dear." She said, bringing the food in. She sat it down on the washer and leaned on the machine, watching Trouble.

"I didn't mean to. Sorry Anna." She smiled and put the pliers down, taking a drink of the coffee. It tasted good and she gave Anna a sad smile.

"I know why. And I don't blame you. But you haven't eaten anything in almost two days, and I will not stand here and watch you starve yourself. You've already lost so much weight, Trouble. Since..."

Trouble looked at her, brow raised. "Since what?"

Anna shook her head, looking flustered. "Nothing darling. I am going to stand here until I watch you eat."

Trouble laughed lightly. "You don't have to do that."

"Apparently I do. I got your dinner back in one piece last night, so I guess we need some reinforcement around here. You drink too much and you don't eat enough, and it's going to catch up with you. And you and Ian need to quit smoking. You think I don't smell it?" Anna had worked herself up and Trouble bit her lip to stifle a giggle. She looked like Mrs. Claus, all hot and bothered.

Trouble picked up the sandwich and and took a big bite and Anna seemed to breath. She had finished it and had picked up the other half when Anna finally smiled. She took a swig of coffee.

"I ruined dinner last night. Your surprise." Trouble said, swallowing.

"No, Ian understood. We all did." Anna shook her head. "It was quite something what that Shane did. I have to tell you, the reception was not very warm for him."

Trouble smiled. "You guys always do have my back." She finished the sandwich and her stomach felt so much better. She didn't realize how hungry she had been. "I kicked him out of the bedroom."

Anna nodded, gathering up her plate and cup. "You need to do what your heart tells you, Trouble. It has gotten you this far, and it's a very good heart to have."

"Thanks Anna." She said as Anna leaned in a pecked the top of her head. "Love you."

"I love you too, dear." She said, heading for the door.

"Oh, hey, Anna?" Trouble said and the woman turned at the door. "That was really good. You think I could have another?"

Anna beamed and bustled out the door.

Trouble was behind the dryer double checking her lines when Rick walked in. She looked up and quickly returned to her work. She saw a wire loose and returned to the top of the machine, securing it with her pliers.

"Hey." He said simply. He looked healthier already, his blue button down tucked into a pair of clean jeans, his handsome face clean shaven. He was leaning in the doorway, his hands in his pockets, and he was obviously nervous.

"If you're here to talk about Shane, you can stop now." She said, her eyes on the cord in her hand.

"No, that's between you two." He said quickly. "I just wanted to thank you for the verbal ass kicking you gave me. I needed it."

"You didn't tell everybody, did you?" She asked, dreading the answer.

"Not even Shane." He said simply and she looked up, raising her eyebrows.

"Thanks. It's nobody's business."

"That's my thought, too. But it worked. And I appreciate it." He said with a nod of his head.

"It wouldn't have if you had not had been ready to listen. So by that reasoning, anyone could have done it and I don't need to be thanked." She said softly, standing and going back behind the dryer. Satisfied, she looked around and saw the roll of tape on the table by the door. "Can you hand me that electrical tape?" She asked and he grabbed it, bringing it to her. "A six inch piece if you don't mind."

He tore it off and handed it to her. He wasn't going to push her, it wasn't something he was known for. He watched her carefully wrap the section she had been working on and plug the machine in.

"Turn it on for me." She said and he flipped the button. The machine sprang to life and she grinned. He turned it off and helped her move the machine back into place. She stood back and put her hands on her hips, finally turning to him. "I'm really glad you're doing better, Rick."

He smiled. "You need any help with anything around here?" He asked and she bit her lip, thinking.

"Well, the trash does have to be taken care of. It's been a while and it's starting to pile up." She said. "It's pretty rank though."

He shrugged. "In a world where the dead walk, how does that size up exactly?"

She smiled, chuckling. "Good point. Well, we need to gather what the masses have neglected to bring, so grab a couple bags." She went to the closet and handed him a few bags and got a few for herself. They headed to the kitchen first and dumped everything from the closet into a bag. They left it in the doorway and worked through all the rooms on the first floor, excusing themselves to the people they might run across. Rick skipped the bedroom Shane had taken, there was bound to be just a sad man in there that did not want to be bothered anyway. She knocked on Ian's door while he headed down the elevator to the lower floors.

"Hey." She said with a smile, poking her head inside. "Need your trash, babe."

He was sitting in an armchair with a book and a beer, not reading but drinking quite a bit. She had kicked Shane out, everyone knew it, and he was so proud of her. But part of him could not forget what she had said about him attacking her. It was none of his business, she had not brought it up and it was said in a conversation he was meant to hear, and yet...

He stood as she picked the empty bottles up and dumped them in her bag. She got to his can and he helped her dump it in. "Thanks." She said, finishing up.

"You want some help?" He offered, and she nodded.

"Yeah. Rick is getting the rest, but I need some cover while we're out there." She said and he frowned.

"Ranger Rick, huh? Joy." He grimaced and she chuckled as they left his room and gathered the bags along the hallway, stopping at her room so she could grab a jacket. He stood in the doorway while she looked in her closet and grabbed a black leather jacket. She tugged it on and pulled her ponytail out of the collar before they gathered the rest.

They went to the industrial closet in the laundry room, the doorway no one would notice if they didn't pay attention, but it opened to twice the width of a normal door. Inside was a large rolling bin filled almost to the top with black bags. They pulled it out and dumped theirs inside before going back to the control room and grabbing guns and ammo. They were finishing when Rick stepped in.

"Arm yourself, Officer." She said and he grinned, grabbing his own gun from the wall, and it's weight felt good on his hip.

"That's it?" Ian asked, watching him grab the one weapon and Rick nodded.

"All I need." He said and Ian scoffed, walking back out to the laundry room. Rick looked over at Trouble, who just rolled her eyes to reassure him. He smiled and followed her to the laundry room. He helped Ian roll it out, taking into account the bandage he saw on her hand. She followed them to the elevator and Warren opened the gate for them and she pulled her sunglasses down to block the harsh sun and she kept cover while they wheeled the bin on the concrete walk around the left of the house. Rick had never been out this way and admired the view of the valley below as they walked.

"We need to take care of these bodies soon." She said grimly and Ian grunted his acknowledgment.

They walked to a small structure far enough away from the house to be safe but close enough they didn't feel too exposed. It was a furnace, Rick saw, as they drew near. Trouble kept her gun drawn and circled the structure as Ian opened the massive metal door on the front and started a fire quickly with a can of gasoline and a large metal poker hung outside on a post. Rick watched as he stoked the flames with some of the garbage they brought, and when the flames were high enough, he and Ian began to throw the bags in quickly. Black smoke began to billow from the chimney above.

"Nice of you to help." Ian said while they worked and Rick couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic. Of course, it was Ian, so...

"Yeah, it's about time I carried my weight." He said shortly and kept his mouth closed to avoid the smell of the trash.

"Mm-hmm." Ian grunted and Trouble came around Rick's side, watching the landscape.

"Do you think it's strange we haven't had a walker spotting since the night of the storm?"

"Maybe that was the last of 'em." Ian flashed his teeth and she raised her eyebrow at him.

"Hold onto that thought." She said flatly. "Maybe they're moving away though."

"It is cold. Should've snowed by now." Rick said and she nodded.

"True." She said, moving away. They finished and she followed them back around the house to the gate. It didn't open and Trouble frowned. She picked up her walkie. "Hey Warren. Let us in." She said and nothing happened.

She looked at Ian, and her face told him to worry. His heart picked up as she called in again. "Hey, guys. Warren? Come on, man."

"This isn't good." Ian said and went to the camera, waving his arms.

She kept calling and after ten or so minutes, when there was nothing, she felt her breath escape her body. This was definitely not good.


	22. Looks like you were right

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Shane heard the screams through his door and rushed into the hallway, thinking it might be Trouble. He met Sam in the hallway and they rushed to the common room. A gunshot sounded and they both ducked and ran toward it. The kitchen.

They ran in and Sam let out a gut wrenching sound. Dean was standing over Warren's body, smoke still coming from the gun he was holding, and Anna was crouched in the corner, holding her arm and screaming like there was no end. Sam ran to her and tried to calm her, but the tears were pouring from his face. He managed to pull her hand away from her arm and saw the bite, deep and pouring blood.

"Get them out of here!" Dean yelled as Carol poked her head in the door and she scooped up Carl, who was sobbing hysterically, and ushered Maggie and Glenn back downstairs. Shane ran to Warren and looked at him closely. He had turned. How and why was not a concern at the time.

"He had her before I could stop him." Dean was babbling, waving his gun, and Shane removed it from his hand carefully. Anna quieted and they all turned to her, their eyes wide and afraid. God...

"He didn't mean to. My darling Warren." She was quietly crying and was not trying to cover her arm anymore. Hershel ran in and shoved them aside, taking stock of the wound, but the wound poured blood over his fingers.

"It's her artery." He said, shaking his head. "It's too bad, too deep."

Sam wanted to scream for him to fix it, but he knew. It was a bite. Even if there was a mending of the wound... Anna quieted and Sam let out a moan from the back of his throat. Shane stood and looked at the body of Anna, her eyes open and glassy, and he didn't even recognize the voice coming from his own body.

"Hershel, get back." He said and the old man quickly stood. Sam whipped his head around and looked at Shane in shock.

"No, you can't, man. It's Anna." He said and Dean shushed him. His brother stepped forward and grabbed Sam by the shoulder and Sam let himself be guided up and away.

"You don't want to see her like that." Shane said and fired, hitting Anna in the head. Her body jumped and lay still.

They stayed quiet, Sam dazed and looking at his blood covered hands.

"Did he go outside?" Hershel asked quietly.

"No, he was in the control room. He was..." Dean trailed off. "Oh my God. Trouble." He let go of Sam and ran from the room, slipping in blood as he went.

"Where's Trouble?" Shane's voice boomed behind him as he got to the control room and skidded to a stop. He saw her in the monitor staring at the camera with Ian jumping up and down behind her, Rick behind him, and he hit the button with a slam.

The gate opened and Trouble was inside, bin forgotten, and at the elevator before it had opened completely. The elevator opened and she flew inside, Ian and Rick right behind her. She was vibrating with worry and Ian grabbed her arms, and turned her to face him.

"Stop. Stop and think, Trouble. Whatever it is, we will deal with it, ok?" He was almost shouting in her face and she nodded.

"Yes, yes, ok." She said and he let her go. The elevator doors opened and she ran into the common room. When she saw Sam standing towards the kitchen, blood soaked, she paled. Dean stepped toward her from behind his brother.

"Trouble, wait." He said and she ignored him. Shane stood at the door of the kitchen, blocking her view. She pushed him aside and got through the door. When she saw Warren and Anna she froze. Ian ran up behind her and cursed. She took a step forward, and everything faded around her. Anna...

They watched her step forward. She moved like a robot, her face expressionless for a step before falling to her knees. She sat there, staring and Ian got down next to her.

"Trouble, honey. Come on." His eyes were tear rimmed, falling down his face as he shook her. She looked over at him and blinked once before turning back to Anna.

Rick stepped forward and next to Shane, who had tucked the weapon into the waist of his pants. He laid hand on his friend's shoulder as he watched Trouble. He didn't know what to do for Trouble, Rick could see it.

"Trouble, please come on." Ian was calling to her, shaking her, but she registered no expression.

"She's in shock." Hershel said. "Shane pick her up."

Shane reached forward and gently picked Trouble up under the arms. He lifted her off the floor when she started screaming.

"Let me go! Get off of me! Anna!" She screamed as Shane fought her, Ian and Dean helping hold her. She was like a wildcat, totally feral. "Anna! Let me go!" She scratched and hit, tearing open the stitches in her hand. Blood began to seep through the bandages, but she could have cared less. Hershel grabbed his bag and took a syringe out of it. When Shane got her back to her room, he and Ian held Trouble down while he stuck it in her arm. They held onto her while she slowed and passed out. Standing back, Shane wiped the sweat away from his forehead and watched as Hershel noticed her bloody hand. He unwrapped the bandages and saw the damage she had done. Sighing, he began to get his tools out to fix it again.

Shane left the room and found Rick in the hallway. "We need to move them, before the others see. Before she wakes up." He said flatly, and Rick nodded.

"Yes." He ran and grabbed some sheets from the laundry room and he and Shane quickly had Anna and Warren wrapped neatly and by the door. They carried them upstairs to the lobby one at a time and laid them by the door. Going back downstairs, they saw Carol and Maggie cleaning up the kitchen, tears streaming down their faces. Sam and Dean sat on the couches, staring into space, still blood covered and unable to move. Shane walked back to Trouble's room, where Ian sat silently in an armchair in the corner, sniffing occasionally. He watched Hershel work over her, sewing up the ugly gash in her hand and after he re-wrapped it, he stepped away.

"She should be asleep for a couple hours, not more. I didn't give her much." He said softly and Shane nodded, letting the man pass. He stood there with Ian, silently.

Rick watched all this go on, and he thought about what Trouble would do. What she had told him to do. He went quietly to Sam and urged him to go and clean up, so she wouldn't see it when she woke up. He looked at Rick blankly but nodded, moving away towards his room. Rick then grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a glass and brought it to Dean, sitting it in front of him and pouring it halfway up. Dean reached out and grabbed it automatically, downing it in two gulps. Rick poured him another and Dean spoke.

"Anna was like her mother." He said in to the distance and Rick sat down next to him. "You know, man?" Rick nodded and let him continue. "The first one she had since Aunt Bonnie. And after that... Man, this is going to fuck her up." He grabbed the glass and downed it again.

"What happened?" Rick asked but Dean had stared off into space again. Rick put the bottle down and Dean picked it up, drinking right from it. He left the young man to it and went to find Shane. It was time to tell him.

He put a hand on the man's shoulder and pulled him away. He had found Hershel in the hallway and told him to come too. He led them to his bedroom and shut the door behind them.

"What is this about, Rick?" Hershel said in his calm way and Shane crossed his arms, watching Rick sit on the edge of the bed and put his face in his hands.

"I didn't know before, I mean, I wasn't sure." Rick began, and stood, pacing in front of them. "At the CDC, Dr Jenner told me something and I thought he was crazy. Til I saw it."

Shane narrowed his eyes and put his hands on his hips. "What did he say?"

Rick stopped and looked at them. "That we all carry the virus. All of us."

They stopped and looked at him, silent. Hershel shifted on his feet.

"That's why Warren had no bites. He probably had a heart attack in the control room and woke up." He said, sitting down in a nearby chair and putting his head in his hands.

"You knew this?" Shane asked, his voice tinged with a bitterness. "And you didn't say anything?"

Rick raised his arms defensively. "I thought he was crazy. He locked us in, tried to kill us, why the hell would I listen to him?"

"Because he was the one doctor left in the world that was actually studying the damn thing. Crazy or not, you shoulda told me." Shane leaned in angrily.

"Shane, stop. I wouldn't have said anything either. Risk panicking people. But now we know." Hershel said, and Shane stepped back. "I'll find a way to tell them."

Shane looked angry, he glared at Rick. He had trusted the man again, and now this? Rick looked up at him, his face anxious and pale. "I didn't know, Shane. I told you as soon as I realized it was true." He said and Shane took a deep breath in.

"Yeah, I guess that's something." He said and went back out into the hallway. Unable to stand at the doorway and watch Trouble's quiet form, he went to the kitchen. Maggie and Glenn were finishing up, and it looked amazing. Like nothing had ever happened there. Carol was back downstairs with Carl, and Shane sat down at the kitchen counter, looking at the spot where Anna had been, thinking about the new revelation and how it was going to change everything.

Rick left Hershel and went to find Carl. After Shane had left, the doctor told him he didn't blame him, but that he should have said something to him at least. They could have figured a way to stay defensive. Rick's heart was heavy but he had to stay strong. When he entered Carl's room, the boy was still sniffling and Carol was trying to get him distracted. He sat down to try and explain.

Trouble awoke with a start and Ian was by her side in a flash. She looked at him for a moment, searching his face, obviously remembering and praying it was all a dream. His face told her it wasn't. A soft cry escaped her throat and he wrapped his arms around her while she sobbed.

She didn't get out of bed for two days. At first, she just cried, and Ian, Sam, or Dean stayed by her side constantly. They wouldn't leave her and she wouldn't see anyone else. Everyone in the house tiptoed by her room, afraid to disturb her. She had been the closest to Anna.

"She wouldn't have wanted to go on without Warren, would she?" She wiped her eyes and kept her head on Ian's chest and spoke for the first time in days, and he closed his eyes.

"I don't think so." He kissed the top of her head.

"I don't either." She said, sniffing. He had laid there with her in her bed for hours, patiently holding her and wiping her tears away. She sat up and went to the edge of the bed. She looked back at him and he sat up, concerned. "I need a shower."

He watched her grab some clothes and walk into the bathroom, not closing the door all the way behind her. This was just like her, to deal and move on. He got up as he heard the water start and grabbed some fresh sheets from the top of her closet. He quickly changed her sheets and gathered the empty water bottles and tissues from the room. He lit a candle she had in the corner and waited for her.

By the time she finished and came out of the bathroom, teeth brushed and hair rolled into her messy bun, the room looked like a new place. She smiled and he took her hand, the one with the stitches, and looked at it. She had taken the bandages off and it looked painful and swollen. The ripping of the wound had taken its effect. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some tablets Hershel had given him and held them out. She opened her mouth in a surprising motion and he put them on her tongue, handing her a glass of water he had brought in earlier.

"You need to eat." He said and she nodded. "Do you want to go out?"

"No." she said quietly. She sat down on the side of the bed.

"Alright. Stay here, I'll be right back." He said and left the room, quickly heading to the kitchen. He passed the common room and Shane stood, following him.

"Is she ok?" He asked, and Ian kept his attention on making her a sandwich.

"She's talking again." He said simply, and Shane took a deep breath.

"But she won't come out." He said and Ian looked up at him.

"No. Shane, she won't, and even if she did, I would hope you wouldn't come at her first thing."

"Of course not. I'm just worried." Shane said, sitting on the stool, defeated. Since the moment of their fight, he had felt his whole world had lost its axis. Rick had spent as much time with him as possible, but it was not helping. He wanted his girl back, and now it looked like Ian had gotten what he wanted.

Ian re entered the room quietly and brought the sandwich to Trouble. She picked at it but after a while she had at least half of it down. It was enough to satisfy Ian.

"Catch me up, Ian." She said, swallowing a sip of the soda he had brought her. The pills had taken quick effect, and allowed her to put her sorrow away long enough to focus. "The house. What's going on?" He noticed she hadn't asked about Anna's burial, and he didn't push it.

"Well, we're getting by. One walker spotting, but only one and we took care of it. Shane and Rick headed up the body cleanup on the lawn so that's done." He said, and was immediately sorry he'd said Shane's name. Her head fell.

"How is he?" She asked. She really was curious.

"Moping around. Of course, so is the rest of the house, so..." He said. "Keeps asking if you're awake."

"Huh. I'm not sorry for what I did. I don't want him back in here. I just don't want to see him go out and get killed either." She said and Ian nodded.

"I don't think you have to worry about that. With you out of commission he and Rick have pretty much taken the post. No one else really wants to deal." He said.

"Are they doing a good job?" She asked.

"Not as good as you." He said and she smiled. She sat the plate aside and sat back on the bed, curling up on her side on the fresh sheets. She gestured to him and he grinned and curled up next to her, putting his arms around her and laying her cheek on his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too." She said back and he felt his heart pick up. He picked up her wounded hand and looked at it again.

"We need to change this." He said and she sighed.

"In a little bit. Don't leave me."

He put his lips in her hair. She smelled clean, amazing. "I'll never leave you, Trouble."

She emerged soon after, the others looking at her like she might break at any moment, but Ian stepped back and let her be. He knew she was going to be just fine. He was proud to watch her, all dressed and together again. She had put on her favorite low rise jeans and black cut off teeshirt, tied up in the back, but she had left her hair down, and it cascaded down her shoulders in golden waves. He suspected that was because Anna had always liked it like that. She looked like old Trouble. Even Sam and Dean grinned when they saw her and Dean winked at Ian.

She headed back to the control room and Ian stopped by Dean.

"Who's back there?" he asked.

"Who do you think?" Dean asked and Ian grinned.

"Let's go watch her work." He said, and Dean grinned as they hurried after her.

Shane and Rick looked up as she entered the control room and their mouths dropped open. Shane was standing and stepped back from the desk.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked and she walked right to the screens.

"Fine. What have we got on fixing the wall? I want to get that done before it gets too much colder. The concrete won't set." She asked, turning to him and Rick. Ian and Dean stood in the door stifling grins.

"Um, well, we were thinking we should try and get to the highway and recover gas from the vehicles out there. We're going to need it." Rick said, twirling a pencil in his fingers.

"What? Is the solar output wonky again?" She asked and moved between them and to the readings counter. "It looks fine. We need to get the wall fixed. Dean?" He stepped inside when she said his name. They knew how important it was to show a solid front right now.

"Yeah." He said, almost standing at attention.

"We're going to need to get out and mix two bags of that concrete from the back bunker. Get two of those big vices and enough boards to make a mold." She said, going to the back wall and getting her Glocks. She put them on either hip and Ian and Dean came in behind her, pulling on jackets and loading up on weapons. She finished and went to speaker system.

"T-Dog?" She called out and the speaker crackled on.

"Girl, that you?" T-Dog came back sounding happy.

"It's me. Can you come on up? We're going out, could use some of that muscle."

"Hell yeah, on my way. Damn." He laughed and she smiled as she stepped away. "You two staying or going? We could use the cover."

They looked at each other in shock. She came back like a tornado. They spoke in unison. "We'll go." Ian and Dean had to stop from falling down laughing.

She called down for Andrea to come watch the monitors and when the blond had arrived and T-Dog loaded up, the group of them headed for the gate. She slid it back for them and they stepped out into the bright but chilly day. It was a good time to do this, any colder and the concrete really wouldn't set.

She went to her Jeep and before anyone else could, Shane hopped up in the passenger seat. She didn't react, and the others got into Dean's SUV. They started out toward the back bunker.

"Are we going to be able to talk?" Shane jumped right in, and she was glad she had put her glasses on so he couldn't see her eyes.

"Well, been a little busy. But I should thank you for taking over while I was down." She said calmly.

"I'd do anything for you." He said, reaching for her hand, but pulling back. "Are you with Ian now?"

She looked at him. "Say that again?"

He's been with you the last three nights. He's the only one you'll see. Or Sam or Dean. But mostly Ian. I just need to know." He said, his voice taking on an edge.

"First, I told you not to question me. But since you felt it was important enough to yet again disregard my wishes you should know that because I let you into my bed does not mean I do that to everyone. So no, Shane. I am not 'with' anyone." She said as they pulled up to the bunker and hopped out before he could respond. He was mildly pleased.

All but Ian and Sam pulled their weapons to watch as they opened the bunker and retrieved a bucket that Ian poured two bags of concrete into and used a spicket nearby for water. They quickly mixed the concrete as T-Dog and Dean grabbed large industrial vices and plywood stacked in the corner.

Trouble walked to the wall while they worked and holstered her weapon, grabbing the rope ladder and pulling herself up. Shane watched with baited breath, wanting nothing more than to stop her. She got to the top and pulled herself up, looking back and motioning for them to follow. T-Dog and Dean quickly got the wood there first and Dean grabbed an industrial quick glue he had found and put some on one of the planks, and handed it up to her before going up himself. She took it and hopped to the other side of the break in the wall, and together they got down on their knees and placed it on the bottom of the break on the other side. Ian saw what he did and glued each board before handing it up to them. They quickly got the boards in temporary fixed positions on both sides of the wall before Trouble hopped down gracefully and T-Dog climbed the rope, taking Dean's position and Dean taking Trouble's. Ian handed them up the vices and they fixed them on the boards on either side. Trouble stood back, weapon drawn with Ian by her side, and stepped to the right of the men working. Shane held up the bucket of concrete, muscles straining at the weight of it. T-Dog got it from him and he and Dean poured it slowly into the mold. Rick and Shane stepped to the other side of them and watched quietly, the only sounds being Dean or T-Dog's occasional grunt or huff of strain at the tenuous weight of the project. Once it had reached the top of the wall, Dean handed the emptied bucket to T-Dog and hopped down. T-Dog handed him the bucket and got down himself with a heavy thud.

He grimaced at the landing and wiped his hands off on his jeans and Trouble looked at the job. It looked like it would hold, and she followed the rest of them back to the vehicles. She got into the Jeep and again Shane got in next to her. Ian let an angry breath out and got into the back of Dean's SUV and they headed back toward the house.

"You were right, that needed to be done." Shane tried again. She pushed her sunglasses off her face and looked out toward the setting sun over the decimated city to their left as they neared the house. The sky was brilliant and bold, colored in gold and purple. A perfect Mississippi sky.

"I'm glad you took care of the bodies. Thank you." She said.

"No problem." He said. "Put them out by the street, far enough away to get them out of sight."

"Sounds good." She said and put the car into park. He grabbed her hand before she could get out and she looked back at him.

"Tonight. Please, let's talk." He said and his face was so pleading she paused. Licking her lips, she frowned.

"I'll find you." She said and got out of the car. He followed her, noticing how fast Ian got to her side. He was obviously terrified they would be alone and the thought made Shane smile. It meant there was something to be afraid of.

Rick fell into step beside him and Shane allowed himself to fall behind, going into the gate last. He watched Trouble talking with Dean and Ian, and planned his chat with Trouble in his mind. He still felt uncomfortable talking to Rick about his trouble with her, seeing how the man obviously had some, albeit shallow, feelings for the girl. He didn't catch Rick looking at her anymore, not since his transformation back into the man he used to be, but Shane didn't trust that completely. Rick had a quiet way about him.

Trouble got back to the control room and she and Ian put their weapons away first, Dean and Sam watching. For some reason Shane and Rick did not put their sidearms away. She thought it curious. She paused as Dean was talking.

"It was fuckin' priceless. "Is the solar output wonky? No, we're gonna fix the wall" She told 'em, man. You shoulda seen it." Dean was laughing and Sam was grinning, laughing. Ian saw her pause and he narrowed his eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked and the others stopped talking. She put out a hand and let T-Dog finish putting his rifle away and leave the room before she spoke.

"Rick and Shane didn't put their sidearms away. They're staying armed. You know why?" She said, biting her lip.

"Shane _has_ been wearing his, I saw him yesterday." Dean said, remembering.

"Huh." She said. "Ok, we stay armed then, too."

"Do you think they're planning something?" Ian asked, checking his weapon.

"I don't really want to wait around and find out." She said, her voice even and deadly. They watched her go and followed, reholstering their weapons but keeping them well within reach.

Trouble knocked on Shane's door and opened it without waiting for an answer. She closed it behind her knowing the guys had followed. Shane stood up from the bed, his face shocked and hopeful at her sudden and unexpected arrival.

"Trouble." He said and stepped forward.

"Why are you staying armed in the house?" She said and he stopped dead where he stood.

"It's not what you think." He said and took another step forward. She backed up immediately and he saw her right hand go low and to her side.

"Really? Because right now what I'm thinking is you and Rick are planning something. If that's the case you need to know it's really not a good idea." She said. His face fell and he shook his head, going back to the side of his bed, facing away from her. He sat there quiet for a while and she took a tentative step forward.

"Just tell me what's going on, Shane." She said and he looked back at her.

"And now you're going to trust me why?" He asked, his voice had a bitter edge it didn't normally.

"You pissed me off. You didn't give me a reason not to trust you. Not about things like this." She said and he looked down into his hands.

"Hershell was going to tell you. He said to let him do it, but I have to tell you. I can't let you go on not knowing and it possibly putting you in danger." He said quietly and she narrowed her eyes, walking around the bed and looking down at him, arms over her chest.

"What are you talking about?"

He looked up at her. "Warren wasn't infected. I mean, not the way you would think. He turned because he died. He probably had a stroke or or heart attack or something while he was in the control room." He said, knowing he probably wasn't saying it right. At the mention of the old man's name her face darkened.

"He wasn't bitten?" She asked.

"No." He shook his head and her arms fell.

"What happened to him?" Her voice sounded so small he looked up and his heart broke for what he had to tell her.

"We all have it, baby. We all carry the virus that makes you turn." He said and she went pale. She swallowed and sat down next to him hard like every breath had been taken out of her body.

"You mean, if we die... No matter how?" She asked, looked at him like she wanted him to please tell her it was a sick joke.

"Yeah." He said and she put her head in her hands and started to cry. He watched her for a moment, and couldn't stop himself from reaching out to put an arm around her comfortingly. Not only did she let him, but she leaned into him and put her face in his chest the way she used to. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and buried his face in her hair.

"Shhh... It's ok, baby. Shhh..." He murmured to her and held her while she cried.

The guys waited at the entrance to the hallway and when Trouble didn't come back out for a while they took anxious positions on the couch. Carol had begun making dinner, trying her very hardest to try and fill the unimaginable void Anna had left.

"What are they talking about?" Ian blurted after a while and Dean sighed.

"Man, you gotta let her do her thing. They got a lot to talk about."

"Yeah, yeah. All that history." Ian rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated groan. He walked back to his bedroom and let himself in. He needed to relax.

"What_ do_ you think they're talking about?" Sam asked when they heard Ian's door shut in the distance.

"Man, you too? At least he can say he's got the hots for her. What's your deal?" Dean asked.

"Well, I'd like know they weren't planning to shoot us in our sleep." Sam cocked his head at his brother and shot the words at him like a dart.

Dean shrugged, considering it. "Yeah, that _would_ be comforting."

Trouble sat there next to Shane for a while after she stopped crying, gathering herself. "So that's why you've been staying armed."

"Pretty much." He said. He'd let her go, but itched to take her back in his arms again. He'd missed it so much. Taking her in his arms, kissing her all over...

"Makes sense." She said, scratching her blue-jeaned knees with her fingernails. "When were you going to tell us?"

"Hershel said he was going to figure everything out and sit us all down. Have all the information." He said.

"I need a drink." She said. "You coming?"

"Yeah." He said, trying to keep the hope from his voice. This was the most receptive she'd been since the fight.

"We have to tell them. Tonight." She said as they left the room.

"Ok." He said. He was not arguing with her in the least.

They walked out to the common room and she reached in the liquor cabinet, grabbing a bottle of the nearest thing she could find, vodka in this case, and several glasses. Dean and Sam looked up at her, then at Shane, confusion on their faces.

"You're going to need this as much as I do. Come on." She said to them and they got up and followed her and Shane to her bedroom. They got inside and closed the door and she frowned. "Where's Ian?"

"Indisposed. What's going on?" Sam asked.

She sat the glasses on her table and filled them all with alcohol. Shane got his and grabbed a chair, twirling the glass in his hands and listening. She picked hers up and downed it quickly. Putting the back of her hand to her mouth, she sat it down and walked away from the table, thinking. "They are staying armed because anybody who dies, no matter how, will turn."

They stared at her, and then walked to the table, grabbed their glasses and chugged them. Dean picked the bottle up and filled them again. They did it a second time, he sat his down and turned to look at her.

"Excuse me? I know you didn't just say what I fuckin think you did."

"Warren wasn't bit, you saw. He was already infected. Apparently we all are." She said, sitting on the side of her bed and looking at them, biting her lips.

"How the hell do you know that?" Dean turned his attention to Shane. "How? From one guy?"

"It's what Hershel says. He's a doctor." Shane said, draining his glass.

"Bullshit." Dean said angrily.

Sam stepped forward. "He wasn't bitten, Dean."

"And that means what? You ever seen anybody else turn that wasn't bitten?" Dean asked.

"It's progressing. It makes sense." Trouble said.

"I can't believe you believe this, Trouble. You wouldn't even talk to this guy yesterday. Now you're going to let him scare the bejesus out of you?" Dean turned on her.

"Anna is dead!" She stood up quickly, her eyes blazing. "Warren is dead, Dean. You need me to remind you that she might have been saved if somebody had a gun on them? And what the fuck does it change anyway? We carry 24/7. I don't see much of a difference."

Dean's shoulders fell and he poured himself another drink. "Yeah, whatever." He sat down in the other chair and put his head in his hands.

"So, that's it then?" Sam said and Shane nodded. "Fine. I'm going to shower, then I'm gonna crawl into a bottle. I'll see you people tomorrow."

"Wait for me." Dean said, following Sam. When they left, Trouble sighed.

"I have to go talk to Ian. Thanks, Shane." She said, and started to leave. He stood.

"Wait." He said and she stopped before the door, her head falling. "I know this doesn't change what happened, but I need to know something."

She turned her head to the side. "If I tell you I love you, Shane, no matter how much it may be true it will make you expect something. I need to figure things out and I need to be fair to you about that." She slipped out the door and he stared at where she was. She does still love me, he thought. She just said it. He grabbed the bottle from her table and headed back to the room he was using, but never would feel like home.

Trouble tapped Ian's door and let herself if. He was laying in bed, eyes closed, and she thought he might be asleep. She closed the door behind herself and went to his bed. She saw his eyes flicker and knew he was just being stubborn. She decided to fight fire with fire and put her fingers just where the bottom of his shirt was and slipped them under, running her hand up his bare chest, feeling the muscles there. His hand flew up and grabbed it through the material.

"You start that you're gonna have to finish it." He said dangerously, opening his sky blue eyes and considering her closely. She smiled and removed her hand, watching him sit up and take a drink of a bottle on his table. "So what's the verdict? Are the savages planning a mutiny?"

"Not exactly." She said, leaning over him and opening his drawer, retrieving his pack of cigarettes. He watched her, her face two inches from his as she pawed through his things, and he sensed something had changed. Instantly his interest was peaked. He raised his eyebrow, watching her, and she lit a cigarette. Taking a long drag, she looked at him and finally spoke.

"If you didn't think we were screwed before, we sure as hell are now." She said and he narrowed his eyes, confused.

"What?" He sat up straight.

"You don't have to be bit anymore, to turn. The virus has changed, grown, I don't know. Point is, you turn. No matter how you die. Warren wasn't bitten." She lifted the cigarette to her mouth again and her eyes went downward. He left the bed and paced across the room, turning quickly.

"He told you that? How do you know he wasn't just playing some sick card he had up his sleeve?" He asked, his face angry.

"Warren." She said, looking up at him.

"Had to be infected somehow. You ever seen it happen with anybody?" He threw his arms out.

"No," She shook her head. "But believing it doesn't really change how we live."

He frowned, biting his thumb hard enough to draw blood. "You believe it?"

"I don't know. It makes a strange kind of sense. And like I said, what does it change except we stay armed. Probably for the best anyway."

He came back to her and sat back down, looking into her face. "Then why do you look so sad?"

"I just think about what poor Anna had to think, watching Warren come at her like that. She had to be so scared." She turned her head away and crushed out the butt of the cigarette. He grabbed her chin and turned it back toward him.

"Do not think those things. I can't stand to think you are." He said, his eyes wide with emotion. She looked at him and leaned forward, kissing him, taking his full lower lip in hers and sucking gently. He didn't react at first, but it just took a second or two for him to begin to kiss her back. He was tentative, and she expected that, but it was just as good as it had been that morning in Dean's room. Their tongues danced together, touching and twirling, and their lips fit perfectly together. They broke, and his breath was fast and quick, his eyes hooded with desire and doubt.

"Trouble..." He began and she put her thumb on his lips, tracing them lightly.

"You said don't come if I was angry, if it was just an afterthought. It isn't. I'm here because I want to." She looked up into his eyes and saw every last bit of self control he had melt instantly. He let out a soft moan and launched toward her, and she landed on her back on his bed. His hands went from her shoulders out to her arms, tracing her fingers with his while his mouth explored every inch of hers. When he moved his hands to her waist she wrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in the back of his hair. He moved to her neck and kissed the sensitive skin there and she let out a soft sigh that drove him crazy. He grabbed the tied tee shirt she wore and pulled it over her head, looking down at her perfect body. She was looking up at him with that beautiful face and he spread kisses over the face he had dreamed about every night since he had met her as he slipped his arms around her and unlatched the blue lace bra she wore. He pulled it away from her body and moved down to her full round breasts, taking them in his mouth, one at a time, sucking at the pale rose nipples with his full lips, flicking his tongue over them. She cried out at the sensation and he felt his erection strain painfully against his jeans.

She raised up and grabbed his shirt, not unbuttoning it but pulling it right over his head, running her hands over his muscular shoulders and down to his abs. She bit her lip, looking at him and he grabbed that lip between his and sucked it like he wanted to every time he saw he do it. She moved her hands, thank god, down to his jeans and unbuttoned them, opening them so he could slip out. He didn't wear underwear, so he stood up and slipped them off, grabbed hers and doing the same. He traced the tiny blue bikini underwear she wore with his tongue and twisted his fingers in the sides, pulling them off in one smooth motion.

He looked amazing standing there over her, his quick breath making his cut chest rise and fall rapidly. His lips were slightly parted and he looked a little dazed, the way she knew he did when he was especially ramped up. He lowered himself to her and took her face in his hand, nuzzling it with his nose and kissing her neck and collarbone. His other hand roamed down her body, squeezing and cupping her breast, caressing her stomach, and slipping between her thighs. She was more than ready for him, and he moaned into her mouth when he saw how wet she was. His finger slipped easily inside her and she arched under him, sighing softly. He slipped another one in and she opened her mouth slightly and he pushed his tongue in with the timing he used with his fingers. It felt amazing and she was finding herself rising and rising, almost to the top when he stopped and she felt his weight change on her. He was at her entrance and he paused, looking her in the eyes, their lips tracing over each others lightly. In one swift motion, he crushed her lips with his as his hips thrust forward and she cried out into his mouth.

"Oh God!" She breathed as he moved. She opened her eyes and watched him thrust above her, his face inches from hers. She felt the first wave hit her and her eyes closed tightly and she threw her head back, arching against him, aching for even deeper motions.

She was already so tight against his broad member that when she tightened ever further with her climax his lost his breath. Once more thrust and he was joining her, pressing his lips against her neck to keep from screaming her name. He felt her relax under him, her hips moving slightly as he pumped into her, wave after wave of pleasure. The last one was the most powerful and he stiffened, not wanting it to fade. He relaxed on her and she traced lines up and down his powerful back, twisting her fingers gently into his dark hair.

He breathed in deeply, kissing her neck again, and withdrew slowly, causing them both to gasp. He rolled to her side and brought her to face him, taking her gorgeous face in his hands and looking at her intensely. "I love you so much." He said slowly, looking into her eyes, and praying she would understand just how much it was true.

She laid her head on his chest and caught her breath, running her hand over his body lightly. He breathed deeply and evenly and she listened to his heart beat so steady. The realizations of the night had exhausted her mentally and now physically, and she drifted into a deep sleep there in his arms.

He felt her drift off and smiled. Finally, she had stayed.


	23. Cass

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

They woke up early, Ian just before her. He first thought it had just been another wonderful dream, but his hands found her tightly in their grasp as he woke, and he realized how tightly he had held her all night long, like he was afraid she would slip away again. It had taken over a year, but they had finally become one.

She stirred with his movements and opened those big green eyes, finding him against her cheek. She turned and smiled, taking in a deep breath and stretching lazily.

"What time is it?" She asked sleepily.

He looked back. "About 6:30."

"Mmm." She answered. She opened her eyes again and looked into his eyes. He couldn't stop gazing at her. "How are you?" She asked with a small smile.

"Perfect. You?" He answered completely honestly.

"The same." She looked at his arm wrapped around her, and touched the bandage there. "Isn't this time to come off?"

"Go ahead. Doesn't hurt anyway. I only kept it to garner your sympathies." He grinned and she chuckled.

"Figures." She said, and unwrapped it from right there in the nest of his arm and chest. It didn't look bad anymore, just a red streak across his bicep. She traced it with her fingertip, then reached up and kissed it. "All better. Isn't that what you said?"

He nodded and smiled, kissing her tenderly on the lips. He reached for her hand and looked at the bandage there. "We should change this, though."

"I want to shower first." She said and he leaned back and held out his hand.

"Come on." He said.

"I don't have my clean clothes here, and I can't exactly go to my room dressed in a towel." She said with a grin as he pulled her up.

"Go get them. Come back." He said, not really wanting her leave.

"Or..." She said, reaching for her bra. "We can each go get cleaned up and then we can meet." She lifted her eyebrows at him and he thought about it.

"You promise?" He asked, coming back in to nudge at her neck with his lips. She ran her hands through his hair and down his cheek.

"Unless there is another major cataclysmic event, yes." She said, laughing, grabbing her shirt and pulling it over her head. He let her go long enough to get into her jeans before he had her in his arms again. He knew she didn't do the clingy thing, though, so he soon let her go and watched her slip out his door. He grinned widely and let himself into his bathroom, even laughing a little out loud.

Everyone must really have tied one on last night because they were all still out like stones. She even heard a heavy snoring coming from Sam's room a door away. She grinned and let herself into her room. She showered quickly and dressed in a white long sleeved sweater with a v-neck that she liked a lot. She put on low, dark jeans, her flat stomach on display when she moved. The Glock on her hip didn't even do that much to draw from the look. In fact, it was kind of hot in a serial killer way. She dried her hair so that it hung down around her face in a golden wave and brushed it to the side of her neck. She tied on white sneakers and headed out of her room, and right into Rick.

They very nearly bumped right into each other, and it was only her hands on his firm chest that stopped that. "What... are you doing? You scared the hell out of me." She said, gasping, pulling hr hands away quickly and putting one on her heart.

"Getting some coffee." He said simply, trying not to react to her touch. He looked fresh and clean, he must have been up awfully early. He had dressed in a nice green shirt and had it tucked into a pair of slacks, his gun on his hip. This actually might take some getting used to, she thought.

"Do we have Xanax? I think I need one now." She said, laughing a little. "I didn't think anyone was up yet."

He followed her to the kitchen, trying not to look at the extremely attractive outfit she had chosen. The white made her look like a snow princess with her blond hair, and the way her hips curved into the low cut jeans made him lick his lips. He had taken to focusing on his health, but it didn't mean his other parts didn't work anymore, and he took a deep breath to keep them from springing to life. Then he saw her gun, and he realized. She knew what he had told Shane and Hershel. Shane must have told her. How much did she know? Would she say anything?

"I guess I have a new routine. Everybody else seemed... upset last night. I think they might be out for a while." He said as they crossed the common room. They got to the kitchen and without warning she hesitated at the doorway and he knew why. This was the first time she'd been in here since everything had happened.

He laid his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, you don't have to." he said gently by her head and felt her let out a deep breath.

"No, I'm ok." She said, walking in and turning on the light, flashing him a bright smile that did not reach her eyes as she did so. She crossed to the coffee maker and set about starting a pot, her eyes avoiding the spot where Anna had been. He frowned, wishing she wasn't going through this. He moved past her and grabbed two cups, putting the sugar and cream he knew she liked into both of them.

"So what's the plan for today?" He asked and she took a deep breath.

"Well, we have to wait a day or two for the wall to set, and everything else seems to be good, so I was thinking I'd let those guys have a day to sleep it off, you know? What about you?" She asked, and looked at him. He was leaning on the counter by the cups watching her. Pretty closely, actually, but it didn't feel sleazy. It was like he could tell she was hiding something, hiding Ian?

He nodded. "Ok. I think Carl wanted to show me something on one of those games anyway, so I guess it'll be a good time to do that." He said, keeping his eyes on her. She grabbed the coffee pot and poured the cups he had prepared full. He stirred them and she was taking a sip of hers when Ian came in, his eyebrow going up when he saw Rick.

"Morning." He said, grabbing a coffee cup and pouring some for himself, black. He had dressed in a soft white cashmere sweater that set his black hair and his blue eyes off beautifully, and she smiled. The roof had been a passing thought in her mind for them to get away while she was in the shower. The same thing must have occurred to him. He had dark jeans on too and his revolver was at his hip.

"Hey." She said casually. "I'll see you guys in a bit." She grabbed her coffee cup and headed for the control room, hoping Ian was paying attention. Rick's eagle eye had shaken her a little, and she grabbed a seat at the desk, grateful for the escape. She looked up at the screens, and saw the one that overlooked the furnace right to the back left of the house was blank. She frowned and stood up, tapping the screen and messing with the buttons. Nothing.

Ian walked in, sipping his coffee. "He knows we know." He said quietly, and noticed her standing up. She was reaching up and her sweater was riding up even more, showing all of her beautiful stomach. He had to snap out of his reverie to realize something was wrong.

"What is it?" He asked, coming up behind her.

"Camera is out." She said, frowning, looking at him.

"Can you fix it?" He asked, putting his cup down.

"Maybe. Sam is kinda the genius on this though." She said, scratching her head.

"Dude is passed out, still snoring like a train." He said.

"Well," She grabbed a walkie. "Let's give it a try. Wait here, I'll get Rick to stay in the control room."

"Ok." He said as she clipped the walkie on the back of her jeans and headed back to the kitchen, hoping Rick was there. He was, making a bagel. He looked up and smiled when he saw her.

"Hey Rick. One of the cameras is out." She said and he frowned, licking butter off his thumb.

"It is?" He asked, leaving his breakfast to step nearer to her.

"Yeah. Can you stay in the control room while we go up and try and fix it?" She asked.

"Sure." He said and grabbed his plate, following her into the control room. Ian sat his coffee cup down as they entered.

"Thanks. Radio if it comes back on, ok?" She said and he nodded, and she and Ian headed up to the roof. He admired the view as they climbed up the ladder and through the access panel. It was an overcast, windy day and it blew her hair everywhere. They made their way to a series of cameras on the back of the roof and she looked at them with a frown.

"We need to be sure which one of these four it is." She said, and picked up the walkie. "Rick?"

"Copy." The officer in him always came out on the radio.

"I need to test these cameras. Tell me if you see me." She said and stood in front of the first one.

He looked at the screen above and saw her appear on one, her bright green eyes coming through even on the low color monitor, her hair blowing around like a shampoo commercial. He'd have killed to switch places with Ian right then.

He cleared his throat. "That's an affirmative. I read you."

She moved to the second one, and again, she came up on a different monitor and he felt his heart speed up a little. God she was so pretty. "Again, that's an affirmative."

She moved again and came up on a third screen, this one closer to him and he had to stop himself from reaching out to touch it. "Affirmative."

"It has to be this one then." She said to Ian, who was watching her closely. "Ok, last one, Rick. Just to be sure." She called through the walkie and moved, and he didn't see anything on the screens.

"That's a negative. I do not copy you." He said, and grabbed a cup of coffee from in front of him, realizing he hadn't brought his in. He was drinking from her cup.

She inspected the camera, moving around it and checking all the wires. She followed the wires from the back of it down the post and to where it connected to the building. Frowning, she moved back to the unit. Ian looked around at the landscape, and looked back at her. She twisted the unit up and got down on her knees and looked up under it. Seeing something she didn't like she tried to adjust it with her fingers but she narrowed her eyes when she couldn't get at it. She looked up at him, and he came to her, crouching down next to her.

"You got your pocketknife?" She asked and he reached into his pocket and found it, handing it to her. She flicked it open in one expert move and he grinned a little. She brought it up and twisted the blade into the unit, biting her lip. He smiled even harder.

"What are you laughing about, weirdo?" She asked, her eyes on her work.

"You realize you bite your lip whenever you do something like that?" He asked.

"Like what?" She asked.

"Fix something. Use a knife, a screwdriver, whatever." He said, sitting back and watching her.

"Well, now you're just gonna made me self concious." She said and picked her walkie back up. "You see anything, Rick?"

"It flickered." He said and she smirked. She twisted the knife a little more and he came back over the walkie. "I see... clouds. I think." It was hard to tell. She grinned and stood up, bringing the camera back down to an appropriate level. "Copy, we have visual."

She grinned into the camera and picked up the walkie. Rick saw her smile and use her other hand to air spank the camera. "Boo-ya, bitch." She grinned and he laughed. "Alright, Rick. Thanks. Just listen for the alarm for me, ok?"

"Copy that." He said and she moved away from the camera. He sat there for a minute, watching out the screen she had just repaired and twisting her cup in his hands, taking sips of the now warm liquid.

"I'm good." She said as she and Ian walked slowly back across the roof. She closed his knife and handed it back to him.

"You are." He agreed. "Been telling you that forever."

She grinned, then looked over at him, confused. "You said earlier- he knows we know. What where you talking about?" She remembered the words Ian had said when he came into the control room.

"Rick was checking out my gun in the kitchen. Kept looking at yours too. He knows we know, and I think he was surprised." Ian said, stopping at the edge and looking over toward the front gate. They could see the town beyond and she stopped and looked at it with him.

"For the best, I guess. He needs to know they can't keep things from us." She said, sticking her hands in her pockets.

"But we can keep things from them." He said, grinning, leaning over and kissing her deeply. His full lips enveloped hers. He pulled away and she smiled.

"You better believe it." She smiled and he tickled her with his nose. She looked out at the landscape and felt her stomach rumble. "You hungry?"

"Yeah. I did work up an appetite." He said slyly and she grinned, heading for the access panel. They made their way back down to the elevator, and then to the common room. The house was still silent as they went back to the kitchen and she glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only 7:50, it seemed later.

She got to the kitchen first and saw Rick by the stove. He was cooking and she glanced back at Ian, surprised. He rolled his eyes and stepped back.

"I'm gonna run back to my room, ok? Bring me something." He said with a grin and she almost groaned. She stepped back from the door and sighed at him.

"Why don't you come in?" She asked and he held up his hands.

"More than fine, believe me. But don't disappear all day, ok?" He said wickedly and she raised an eyebrow, watching him stroll lazily away. She shook her head and headed on in to the kitchen.

"Whatcha doin?" She asked casually, coming in and grabbing another coffee cup. She realized she hadn't had hardly any of hers from earlier.

He turned and looked down at her next to him, pouring sugar into her cup, and smiled. "Carl is still out, I thought I'd get some breakfast ready for him. I made a ton, you can eat right?"

"Do you know me? I can always eat." She said, grinning and moving to the coffee pot to fill her cup. She moved to the stool in front of the counter and watched him, her chin in her hand. He flipped the eggs in the pan like a pro, and toast popped up and he quickly buttered it. He moved quickly and with experience, and she figured it came from being a husband and father. He spun and with a flourish he put some on a plate and reached into the microwave. Bacon, mmmm... She thought she smelled it. He made the two of them a plate and she followed him to the dining room where he put her at the end and he sat right next to her. She grabbed her napkin and took a bite.

"Oh my god." She said, putting her hand up to her mouth and looked at him, impressed.

"Good?" He asked, his fork poised to go in himself.

"Damn." She chuckled and he grinned. He took a bite and looked at her.

"Good work with that camera." He said as he ate.

"Sam is the one to go to for that stuff." She said, shrugging.

"Didn't have to." He said. "I was wondering if you could show me the solar panels. I'd like to know how to fix them, in case you ever need it."

She nodded, taking the last bite of her food. She picked up her coffee and took a sip. He looked at it and she realized he hadn't made a cup. She pushed it toward him and he smiled, taking a drink. "Sure. I need some help figuring out how we're going to work around the access panel in the snow too, if you want."

"Yeah we have to keep it accesseable, don't we?" He said, watching her pick up her plate and take it into the kitchen. He followed with his own and they rinsed them off in the sink and put them in the dishwasher.

"You got it." She said, putting her hand under the hot water and wincing, pulling it back fast. She had done a half ass job re-wrapping it, it had hurt so badly after her shower. He frowned and took her hand, and she let him unwrap it and take a look.

"This looks bad, Trouble. It's too swollen. I think you're getting infected." He said and she bit her lip.

"I'm a little hard on my body." She said and he looked up at her.

"Come on." He said and she followed him to the laundry room. She sat on a stool while he got the medical supplies from the closet and felt her eyes well up a little, remembering Anna always doing this for her. He came back and cleaned the gash carefully with antiseptic. She hissed and tried to pull back but he grabbed her fingers and pulled it toward him. Leaning forward, he blew on it and the pain faded.

"Magic Rick." She said. He chuckled and grabbed an ointment, spreading some on her hand, and wrapped it tightly with clean gauze. He finished and she pulled it back, stretching and spreading her fingers. "Nice. You have to do this a lot as a cop?"

"Try a lot as a dad." He said, putting the supplies away. He turned to her and saw her looking at the cabinet sadly. Her eyes went to the floor and he put his hand on the side of her head comfortingly.

"Hey. It'll get easier." He said and she touched his hand.

"Yeah, I know. Just kinda fresh." She said, looking up at him. He leaned forward and put a kiss on her forehead. She smiled and stood up. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Rick went to get Carl while she quickly made a bagel for Ian. She grabbed a couple pieces of bacon and put it on the plate too before taking it back to his room. She let herself in quietly and saw he had fallen asleep on the bed, his hand across his chest and his face peaceful. She had been able to tell he was worn out earlier. She smiled and put the plate down next to him. She resisted kissing his sleeping mouth, he was not a heavy sleeper.

She let herself out and back to the control room. He could hear Carol talking to Rick in the kitchen and she let them have some time with Carl. She sat down at the chair and watched the screens for a while, double checking her work on the furnace cam. It was slightly high but sufficient. She could see their work on the wall on one of the screen and it looked like it was holding nicely. Although with the overcast and chilly weather they might have to leave it longer.

She grabbed some of the guns they didn't use a lot and set about cleaning them. She was on her third, a long range rifle, when Rick reappeared at the door. "You want some help?" He asked and she looked up, and nodded. She finished up and reassembled the weapon with a loud click, and hung it on the wall. He had taken another rifle and was working with it at the table in the middle of the room. She grabbed another and joined him, sitting across from him.

"So how is Carl?" She asked.

He frowned. "It's a job trying to explain to a kid how he's safe when he doesn't think he is."

"If anybody can do it, you can." She said, intent on her job. She didn't see his head snap up at her. "You make everybody feel safe."

"I do?" He asked simply.

"Yeah." She said, glancing up at him. "You always know what to do. Wish I was like that."

"You are." He said, his eyes wide. "After Lori, I was so gone. You..."

She sighed and looked up at him. "Did exactly the same thing while I was down with Anna. We all have our moments. It's how you end up that matters." She looked back down and cleaned the barrel of the gun. "You got all those people here. I would have freaked the hell out if I have that many people to look after, on the road no less. My God." She paused and said quietly. "Even Shane took off. It was just you."

He felt his stomach go to his feet. "Shane was... he had some problems he had to deal with."

"Mm-hmm." She said absently. She didn't want to go there anyway.

He cleared his throat and went back to his weapon. "Anyway, I guess-" The alarm went off, cutting off his words. They turned and she went to the screens, throwing the alarm off. She scanned and came to the front gate. There was a large black SUV parked outside of it, and a figure had scaled the wall and was leisurely walking across the field and toward the house.

Trouble leaned back and breathed out in shock. "No fucking way."

Rick had checked his weapon and was grabbing another. Trouble grabbed the walkie base and called out.

"T-Dog, get up here please. Fast."

She grabbed a walkie and and her sunglasses and they headed to the elevator, meeting T in the hallway. He headed on her orders to the control room and they made their way to the gate. It slid back and the came out as the figure topped the hill toward them. They walked quickly and Rick could see it was a girl, maybe a few years older than Trouble. She had short dark spiky hair and dark sunglasses on, and she was dressed like a commando. She was thin, not as curvy as Trouble, and she looked mean.

They got a few yards and she and Trouble pulled their weapons at the same time, aimed right for each other. Rick pulled his but Trouble put her hand up. "I got this."

"Drop it." The girl spoke low and Trouble scoffed.

"You first."

"Now why would I do that?" The girl said flippantly.

Trouble lifted an eyebrow. "I can make you."

The girl's face lit up. "Oohh... yeah?" She grinned and put her weapon back at her hip. "Bitch, get your ass over here."

Trouble grinned and secured her weapon, running to the girl and throwing her arms around her. They laughed and hugged and Rick felt everything he knew to be reality become a complete weird Twilight Zone experience. What the hell...

They broke and Trouble turned to Rick, the girl under her arm. She grinned. "Officer Rick Grimes, this is Cassidy. Cass, this is Rick."

The girl put her sunglasses back on her head and Rick was met with large light gray eyes. "Officer, huh? We recruiting now, Trouble?"

"Come on, get your ass inside." They said and started walking. They had separated grasps but were still swiping at each other and joking.

"You look like a fuckin cheerleader, Trouble. What the hell?" Cass was saying.

"Oh yeah, you look like a Terminator." Trouble was saying as the gate slid back and they came in. "The guys are sleeping, they're gonna freak the fuck out when they see you." They got to the elevator and Trouble noticed Rick again. She turned to him, explaining. "Cass was with us when we found this place, but my girl here headed back out. She doesn't like to be kept cooped up." Rick nodded and stood back to watch the whirlwind that was the two of them.

They got down to the common room. "I'm fuckin starving. It's been forever since I had anything decent."

"Let me tell T first, come on." Trouble said, grabbing her hand and dragging her back to the control room.

"Hey now, don't be dragging me all..." Cass stopped when they got to the door of the control room. "Well, helllloooo.." She said as T-Dog stood for them.

Trouble grinned as T-Dog's face spread into a huge grin. "T, this is Cassidy. Cass, T-Dog."

"Mmhmm." Cass drawled. "Trouble, you're keeping all the fine ass men to yourself. What's up with that?" She sashayed forward and shook his hand. Trouble chuckled as he let out a low whistle. A love match apparently had been made. Leave it to Cass to take under 5 minutes.

They sat in the kitchen while Cass ate everything in sight, laughing and chatting, and Rick and T-Dog stayed in the control room to process what had happened.

"You see that chick, man? Damn." T-Dog had said after they had swept out.

"Yeah, looks a little... edgy." Rick laughed. Trouble was much more his style, cheerleader or not.

"Mm mmm... yeah. T-Dog's got his thang going tonight..." T-Dog did a little hip movement and Rick burst out laughing. He just wanted to see Sam, Dean, and Ian when they woke up.

"Where were you?" Trouble was asking, drinking a beer with Cass. It was early but the girl would not be denied. Cass had sat back at the dining area and was smoking a cigarette lazily. Trouble had the sudden idea that they must look like the good angel and the bad angel there together, with her white clothes and blond hair and Cass' jet black hair and black leather. The girl was only a couple years older, and really pretty, with gray cat eyes lines heavily in dark kohl liner. Her lips were dark red and glossy, just like they were ever since she had met.

"Got up to Missouri. A lot more walkers up there then so I turned around. On my way to Florida and thought I'd say hey." Cass flashed her eyes. "How are the guys? Tanner still whining like a girl?"

Trouble's face fell and she looked down at the table, scratching the surface lightly with her nail. Cass watched her quietly for a moment. She knew that look. "When did you lose him?"

"A while back. He went fast." She said, because that was as good as any of them could hope for. She wanted to badly to change the subject. "I'm so glad to see you. Why don't you stay this time?"

"With a piece like T-Dog around I just might." She answered, crushing out her cigarette. "So, you got your own little police force now, huh? Officer Rick." She rolled her eyes. "Didn't I teach you how to take care of yourself?"

"We got two. Shane's still sleeping." Trouble laughed. "And I saved them, so apparently you did a good job."

"Good girl. But two cops. Ugh." Cass grimaced. Cope were not her favorite people before the outbreak.

"And we got a couple women, a kid, Carl. Rick's son." Trouble said. "And of course you met T."

"And I plan on meeting him again later." She said wryly. "I leave and you turn this place into a community center."

"It's not bad." Trouble gave her a tired smile and Cass narrowed her eyes.

"Ah, so you you decided to start having little Ian babies?" She grinned and Trouble rolled her eyes and chuckled. Cass sat up and her eyes widened.

"I know that look. You are! You slut." She slammed her hand on the table and laughed.

"Shut up." Trouble shushed her and Cass ducked her head. "Don't say anything. There was a thing with Shane, and it's not easy around here right now. So quiet, ok?

Cass made the motion of locking up her lips. "Ok," Trouble said. "Do you want to get cleaned up?"

"Hell yes. I'm so disgusting. But, first," She said slowly. "Where are the guys?"

"I wouldn't mess with Sam, but the other two are all yours. He's a little hungover. So much so that he's not awake yet." Trouble raised her eyebrows and Cass grinned evily. She reminded Trouble so much of Ian when she did that, she laughed. Cass got up eagerly and went to Dean's room. She and Trouble snuck inside quietly and found Dean laying across his bed, his shirt off and chest bare, his handsome face half buried in his pillow. Cass got down on the floor in front of him and went eye level. She reached out a finger and tickled his ear. He swiped at it and his face twitched before he opened his green eyes. He blinked at Cass, who was grinning at him, and he yawned.

"Hey Cass." He said and rolled over. Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he sat straight up, looking back at her in shock. "Cass?" he blurted and she threw herself into his arms.

"Hey Dean." She said, her voice muffled by his shoulder as he hugged her.

"I thought you were dead, girl. You didn't come back." He said, leaning back and then going in again for another hug. Trouble grinned and laughed. It was no secret and Dean had a thing for her, and they had messed around, but Cass was not a settle down type.

"I'll tell you all about it, man. But you're choking me." She squirmed and he let go, getting up quickly and throwing his shirt on. "Oh no, don't take away the view. That's why I came back." She joked and he grinned.

"You see Sam and Ian?" He asked.

"No. Trouble came out and got me and fed me. And we came to get you." She said and Dean followed them back into the hallway. They got to Sam's door and though the snoring was lessened it was still there. "No way and I poking that bear. I remember what he's like when he gets woken up." Cass laughed and they headed back to Ian's room.

"How do you want to do this?" Trouble asked. She was sure Ian was awake, it had been long enough, but probably had not been for long.

Cass shrugged and knocked. It took a minute, but Ian came to the door, opening it and rubbing his eyes tiredly. He blinking when he saw Cass and gave a sideways smile.

"If there is anybody I would expect to still be alive, it's you." He said and threw his arms around her. "Hey Cass. You came back."

"I came back. How are you Ian?" She said, standing back. He opened the door and the three of them came in. Cass flopped down on his bed and Trouble saw he had not touched the breakfast she had brought him yet. He sat down and lit a cigarette, handing it to her.

"Oh, that reminds me. I come bearing gifts." She said, taking a drag. "We need to get my car in."

"Sure." Dean said from his chair. "Whenever you want."

Ian looked over at Trouble. "You found her outside?"

"Came right over the gate." Trouble smiled and accepted the cigarette from Cass.

"What's the walker situation like out there?" Ian asked, frowning.

"A lot less. I don't know if it's just because it's been a while or what, but they aren't who you gotta worry about anymore." Cass said darkly. "The people are a hell of a lot meaner than they used to be. Anybody else comes around here, you don't let them in, you got it?"

She looked around to all of them to stress her point and they nodded. "I wasn't followed, but if I'd have been I would have just kept going." She took the last pull of her cigarette and crushed it out. "Now, let's go get that car."

They headed out and to the control room, where they found T-Dog and Rick still sitting there. "We're going out to the get her car." Trouble said, grabbing a walkie.

"Trouble, don't worry about it. T-Dog can help Dean and me, can't you?" Cass flashed her teeth at the man and he grinned.

"Yeah." He said, grabbing a gun and pulling on his gloves.

"Well, alright then." She said and they headed to the elevator. Ian yawned and excused himself, and Trouble sat down in T-Dog's place to watch the monitors. When they got to the gate upstairs, she rolled it back for them.

Rick had stayed and took a stool nearby. "So, she was your friend?"

Trouble smiled. "We worked together. She's been with us since the beginning. I guess it's weird that all four of us would get out of the city alive and be here together now, huh?" She looked at him and he nodded. Not everyone was as lucky.

"So why did she leave?" Rick asked.

"Same reason Daryl did, I guess. She didn't know how to live here. I still don't think she does."

"I'm glad she made it back." Rick said simply and Trouble wiped a tear away from her eye, watching T-Dog and Cass make it to the front gate.

"Me too." She watched as T-Dog undid and gate and Cass pulled her SUV through. He locked it up again and climbed in. They made it back in safely and Trouble went to meet them at the elevator just as Shane came out of the hallway. He tilted his head to the side when he saw her standing at the elevator, waiting.

"What's up?" He asked just as the doors opened. When he saw the girl with Dean and T-Dog, all three loaded up with bags, his eyes went a little wide. Trouble grinned as Cass stepped in and saw him. She walked up to him and looked him up and down.

"You gotta be Officer Shane." She stated and he blinked down at her, confused, then up at Trouble. Cass walked right by him and toward Trouble's room.

"That is Cassidy. She's going to be staying a while. Rick's in the control room, he can fill you in." She smiled at Shane and he nodded, watching her follow them to her room. He headed to the control room to find out what the hell was going on.

T-Dog left them to it as Ian got to the door. He shut it behind him and they watched Cass dump out some of her bags. She grabbed three cartons of cigarettes and handed them to Ian, who grinned and took them with a nod. She pulled out bottles of medicine, antibiotics, painkillers, everything, and handed them to Trouble. It was enough to fill a bag and Trouble shook her head, amazed. For Dean, she reached into a large contained that T-Dog had carried in and pulled out 6 bottles of the highest quality scotch.

"I said, God damn!" He exclaimed and took them eagerly.

"I expect you will share." She said with a flick of her eyes and he grinned.

"You kidding, how about now?" He said and cracked one of the bottles open. He grabbed four glasses from Trouble's table and filled them, passing them all around, and they sat talking amongst themselves, so glad to have found each other again.

"She's something." Rick was saying, and Shane barely heard him. The new girl had caused even more excitement and activity. Shane would never be able to get her alone. Rick had filled him in and he sat there, staring at the screens.

"He's awake!" Dean came back in from the hallway, excitedly. Cass put down her glass and peered out into the hallway, the others close behind her. Sam came back from the kitchen with a bottle of water, clearly hung over and Trouble called to him.

"Hey Sam, can you come here a second?"

He groaned and rubbed his head. "Can it wait? Please?"

"No." She said and he rolled his eyes. He walked into the room, a scowl on his face, but when he saw Cass sitting at the table, a smile broke out and he laughed. She stepped up and he put his water down, and scooped her up, spinning her around.

"Sam." She laughed and kissed his cheek. "Missed you."

"We've missed you, girl. Where you been?" He asked.

"All over. But I'm glad to be back." She grinned as he put her down.

The five of them had spent the day together, and by the evening Sam, Dean, and Cass were pretty well toasted. She eventually excused herself for sleep and Trouble showed her to the last available room in the hallway. Sam and Dean went to their room to sleep too, and Ian was left with Trouble in her room.

"My god, I can't believe it." She grinned and laid back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She stretched her arms over her head and sighed. Ian came to the bed from his chair and laid down next to her, running his hand over her stomach. He ran his eyes up her body to her face and smiled. She grinned at him and he lowered himself to her lips, closing his eyes and running his hand through her hair. He grabbed her hand and she sucked in a deep breath. He pulled back suddenly and saw that she had her hand close to her chest.

"I'm so sorry!" He said, sitting up.

"It's ok, it just got a little infected, that's all." She said, forcing a smile. He reached over into the bag Cass had brought and got one of the bottles. He shook some of the pills out into his hand and handed them to her. She put them in her mouth and swallowed with Sam's bottle of water. "Thanks." She said.

"Should we change the bandage?" He asked, concerned.

"No, it was done this morning. But maybe I should take some of those antibiotics." She said and he looked through the bag and handed her a bottle. She took it, and some of the others in there, and stuck them in her nightstand. "I want to show this to Hershel, he'll be happy. You want to come?"

"Sure." he got up and followed her to the elevator that led downstairs. They found the old man reading in his room. He hadn't come out much since Warren had died, guess he felt disconnected.

"Hey, my friend Cassidy came today." She said, smiling, and he removed his glasses and nodded.

"Maggie told me we had a new arrival." He said, putting his book down.

"Yeah, well, she came with these." Trouble brought the bag in and dumped it out on the floor in front of him. First aid supplies, antibiotics, his eyes went wide.

"My, my." He mused. "I must say, this is very good. I was wondering what we would do when we ran out."

"Don't have to worry about that now." She said with a grin.

"I'll have to thank her." He said, looking through the bottles. "I'll put these with the others. Thank you."

"Welcome." They grinned and left him to it. They walked slowly to the elevator, and he sighed. She looked over at him.

"You ok?" She asked, hitting the button.

"Sure. It's a non stop hail storm of activity around here. Who wouldn't be happy?" He said, flashing the whites of his eyes.

"You're not happy Cass is back?" She asked as they got into the elevator.

"I am. But where Cass goes insanity follows. I'm just not sure the house is ready for it." He said.

"I guess we'll have to protect them." She said with a grin.

"You got any armor? Bullet-proof glass?" He asked. "When is dinner?"

She laughed at his change of topic. "Do we do that now? Dinner? All together?"

"Carol has been trying. It's decent." He said, shrugging. "But I'm starving."

"Go get some food, Ian. I'll catch up with you in a bit." She said and stroked his back as they walked down the empty hallway. "Those pills are making me a little wired. It was stronger stuff, wasn't it?"

"A lot. But your hand doesn't hurt does it?" He asked as they entered the common room. Rick and Carl had taken to their video game, and Rick glanced up at them with a nod.

"I'm going to see what these two are up to." She said and Ian laughed.

"You're kidding, right?" He said.

She shrugged and he shook his head,laughing as he walked to the kitchen to see what Carol was making. She turned and Rick was obviously surprised to see her come and take a seat on the other side of Carl.

"Hey man." She said, looking down at the boy. "You kicking your dad's butt?"

"Yeah." He giggled. "He's not very good."

"Well, be ready for some real competition." She grinned and held her hand out for Rick's controller. He grinned and handed it to her. She threw him a glance as she took it and picked the game up from his point. It was a car racing thing, and soon she was racing past Carl, around obstacles and over hills, making the boy scream with delight.

Rick sat back and watched them, smiling to himself. He put his elbow on the arm of the couch and his palm against his cheek, watching Trouble laugh loudly as she played with his son. She was into it, and elbowed Carl gently to get him to falter. He squealed with laughter and threw himself against her. She pretended to be thrown back too far and he yelled triumphantly as he beat her. She was graceful, her sweater riding up a little in the back where she sat, showing her lovely back off to him.

"You're a lot better than my dad." Carl said as the score showed for the end of their game.

"You better believe it. And this time I'm going to be better than _you_." She said, her eyes wide and her face in his.

"Oh no, you're not. What color car are you going to be. I'm blue." He said and she bit her lip.

"Can I be red?" She asked and he nodded, programming it in for her. They were almost done when Carol came to the door.

"It's dinner time Carl." She called and he looked over his shoulder, disgruntled.

"But I'm playing with Trouble. And she's better than everybody but Sam." He said.

"You can play after dinner. Come on." She said and he sat his controller down reluctantly.

"Will you play later?" He looked up at Trouble expectantly.

"Only if you're ready to get beat down." She said and he grinned. He got up and ran toward the kitchen and Trouble sat her controller down and moved back on the couch, chuckling to herself.

"He's a sweet kid, Rick." She said, tilting to face him a little and curling her leg under her, her arm on the back of the couch.

"You're good with him." He said, tilting so he was matching her, his own arm on the back of the sofa.

She shrugged. "I haven't really had the chance yet. It's been so crazy." She took a deep breath in and let it out between her white teeth.

"I know. Actually, I'm surprised to see you now. Thought your friend would have you guys busy for a while." He said, tilting his head a little, his eyes on her face.

"She's a tornado. She managed to get Sam and Dean pretty wasted again before passing out herself. Knowing her, she'll be out for a while." She said, tapping the back of the couch. "You hungry?"

"Not really. How is that hand?" He asked, gesturing to the bandage he had done for her. She looked at it and stretched out the fingers.

"It hurt pretty bad. I took something, and it's kicking in pretty hard right now. So, if I get goofy..." She trailed off and he grinned.

"I'll keep you in line." He assured her with a officer like nod and she laughed lightly at him.

"How do you plan to do that?" She asked just as the elevator dinged and Maggie, Glenn, Hershel and T-Dog came out of the elevator on their way to the kitchen, calling hellos to her. She waved at them as they passed, and T-Dog hesitated.

"Hey, Trouble. Where's your friend?" He asked a little too excitedly and she and Rick stifled laughs.

"Recovering. But I wouldn't be too excited to have her awake, T." She said, grinning. He looked confused.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because she's insane. She's gonna chew you up, and I think she's plannin on it." She said and he broke out into a another grin. He rubbed his hands together, his eyes going wide.

"Now, that's what I'm talkin about." He said as he walked away and Trouble burst out laughing, leaning forward to put her head on the couch, inches from Rick. She sat back up, tears going down her face, and she looked at Rick.

"When all this is over, please remind him that I warned him, huh?" She asked, gasping for breath.

He held his hand over his heart. "I was a witness, ma'am." She chuckled one last time and glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well, if you're not feeling too, uh.. happy," He said with a grin. "You want to show me the basics on that solar panel stuff? If you don't, it's ok." He said, leaning his head to the side.

She shrugged. "Long as you keep me from falling off the roof."

"Wouldn't let it happen for the world." He said and she stood up, going for the control room. She moved a little slower, smiled a little more easily, and he watched her with amusement. Shane was sitting in the control room and looked up as they came in.

"You're not hungry?" She asked, smiling at him as she came in. He grinned back, happy at the unexpected perk, and shook his head.

"I grabbed something earlier. Thought I'd sit here a while." He said, leaning back and looking at Rick. "What are you two doin?" He rested his hands on his head and relaxed.

"She's going to show me the solar panels." Rick answered while Trouble crouched down next to Shane, digging for the notes and manual she had put away there. He glanced down and Rick saw him run his eyes over the expanse of bared back she was showing and lick his lips. No kidding, brother, he thought to himself.

"Don't know how much good she is going to do though." Rick said, continuing and trying to get Shane's attention. "She's wasted."

"Really." Shane said, looking up at him, surprised, and laughing. He had drug the word out and spun around to face her.

"No. My hand hurt and I took something. He's giving me crap about it." She said and stuck a pencil between her teeth, coming up with the books. She looked down and saw Shane looking at her with an amused look and rolled her eyes before laughing despite herself. "I'm not." She said, smiling.

"Yes you are." He said and his eyes danced. He looked back at Rick. "She fun when she's like this?"

"Carl thinks so. She just let him beat her at that game out there." Rick said with a smile.

Shane blew out a breath and looked up at her. "I'll be damned. You should do it more often, girl."

She put the books down and grabbed hair clip she had left on the desk, reaching over Shane, who didn't push back, even though he could have. "I don't know about that. Something comes through that gate and it's going to be you guys taking care of it. I doubt I could hit the broad sign of a barn right now." She said, twisting her hair up casually and clipping it. She shirt rode up as her arms were raised and her stomach was in full glory. Both men felt the room get hot at this flurry of motion and skin she was showing.

"Alright, come here, Rick." She said, turning and leaning over the solar output gauge. "This is the output measure, how we know how much power we've got and how much we're bringing in, ok? These numbers should be between here and here." She got down to explaining the workings, becoming totally wrapped up in what she was doing. Shane sat back and listened, watching the two of them. She was pointing out things in the manual to Rick and showing him the things on the machinery and he was nodding, going along with what she was saying. He planned on staying right where he was because she kept having to reach around or over him for something, and he caught whiffs of her shampoo, her citrus and vanilla scent. Once, she even used his shoulder for balance, and he felt the breath go out of his body. He wanted to pick her up and take her back to her bedroom, rip that gorgeous sweater off her and do the things he'd been longing to do in his mind every second of every day since that last night with her.

Rick listened, but watched Shane out the corner of his eye. Rick knew that look. This was killing him. He didn't like to see it, but he also didn't like seeing his friend so strained and boxed in. It wasn't going to be long till he snapped, tried to take what he wanted. It was his pattern. He was like a petulant child when he didn't get his way.

"Ok, so that's pretty much all I can tell you from down here. The rest is on the roof." Trouble was saying, closing the manual and looking up at him, and Rick snapped his attention back on her fully.

"You want to go up?" He asked and she frowned, touching her forehead.

"It going to be dark before I show you anything worthwhile." She said. I doubt that, he thought and smacked himself on the back of the head mentally. "Besides, this stuff has me all turned around. How about tomorrow?"

He nodded and she grinned. "Thanks." He said.

"I'm glad you're interested. We need somebody else who can do it. Sam never seems to have time." She said and grabbed the stool by Shane, perching on it lightly and putting her feet on the bars. She put her arms around her knees and looked at the screens. "Anything out there?"

"Birds." Shane said simply. "Flocking like crazy, keep going in front of the cameras."

"If they hit one it will knock it off it's focus. It's happened before." She said, running three long fingers under chin lightly. "In fact, I bet that's what happened to that furnace camera." She said, looking back at Rick for a second.

"Anyway, you guys need me for anything? Because the others should be up soon and I think they're gonna wanna party. They don't need to, but I know Cass." She said, sighing.

"She's pretty wild, huh?" Shane asked, rocking in his chair slightly.

"Putting it mildly." She said, widening her eyes briefly. "I'll see you guys in a bit. Stick around though. I might need a little crowd control." She said, grinning as she left the room. They watched her go, both wishing she would stay.

She went to the kitchen and saw that most of them were finishing up their dinner. Ian got up and walked past her to put his plate away as she grabbed a soda from the fridge. He came to lean on the counter and watch her as she popped it open and took a long drink.

"I need a cigarette. You want?" He asked and she nodded, leaving with him. They went to his bedroom and she laid across his bed, watching him get his pack out and sit down on the bed facing her side. She laid her head on her arms and blinked at him slowly. "You're tired." He said and she nodded.

"Yeah, it feels like the longest day." She said, sighing. Was it really just this morning she had woken up here, wrapped in his arms? She took a drag of the cigarette he handed to her and passed it back. Crawling up the bed, she turned so she was snuggled into his side, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and absently played with her fingers.

"You do know what's coming tonight." He said, resting his chin on her head.

"Yeah." She said with a sigh. When they had first gotten here, Tanner, Sam, Dean, and Cass hadn't been sober for a week. It was music and partying and fun until they had made themselves sick. "We're going to have to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"It's you and me. Again." He said grinning. They had been the ones to hold down the fort, but now it truly was her and him. Together.

"Yeah." She said with a smile. Her voice was low, and he knew she was sleepy. He crushed out the cigarette and turned the lamp off, plunging the room into darkness. He moved down slightly, spooning her and wrapping his arms tightly around her. She drifted quickly off to sleep and he didn't even realize when he had joined her.

"Caught you." The sing song voice pierced Trouble's dreams and she opened her eyes slowly. Cass' large gray eyes were laying in front of her on the pillow, sparkling even in the dim light. Trouble shot up.

"Shit! Cass, you scared the hell out of me." Trouble blurted and Ian awoke with a start.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna say anything." Cass sat back and grinned. "When I didn't find you in your room, I knew where you would be."

Ian sat up and looked at her resentfully. "Don't give me that look, Ian. It's late, everybody's going to be out there soon and I gotta get my girl here ready."

"Ready? What time is it?" Trouble wiped at her eyes tiredly. Shit, her hand stung like fire.

"Eleven." Cass said, standing and pulling on Trouble's arm. "Come on."

Trouble threw a look back at Ian as Cass led her from the room. They heard the initial strains of music coming from the common room and Cass threw open Trouble's door and headed straight for her closet. Shutting the door behind her, Trouble went to her bedside table and got out the bottle Cass had brought, taking two and swallowing.

"Good stuff, huh? I got shot in Arkansas and that got me through." Cass said, shooting a glance back at Trouble.

"You got shot?" Trouble said, concerned.

"Yeah. Hillbilly thought he was gonna have his way with me. Got pissed when I told him no means no." She said seriously and grinned. "It was in and out. No big." She said, lifting her sleeve and showing a decent scar on her upper right arm, just off center.

"I shot Ian there." Trouble said and Cass' eyes widened.

"Did you now. You know, there are other ways to get a man." She said and grinned.

"Pure accident." Trouble put up her hands and Cass laughed.

"Hell, I've wanted to do it. Good for you for pulling it off." She said, finding a dress in the closet and pulling it out. It was red, short, and had one shoulder cut out.

"No." Trouble shook her head. She wore that she might as well have a 'come get me' sign pasted to her forehead. There would be no containing Shane.

"Good. I wanted to wear it." Cass said, eyes flashing and threw it across the chair. She kept looking and Trouble kicked her shoes off, shoving them under her bed.

"This is gorgeous." Cass pulled a black number out, just as short but the top covered a lot more. A knock came at the door and Cass danced to the door, grinning widely as Maggie came in.

"Hey Maggie." Cass said, taking the girl's arm and bringing her in eagerly. Maggie smiled when she saw Trouble. "I found this hot little thing out there and I knew I had to dress her up for her guy." Cass said and Maggie laughed.

"I don't know." Maggie said, but saw the black dress Cass held up and let out a gasp. "Oh wow."

"Damn straight, wow." Cass said and handed the dress to Maggie who ran into the bathroom to try it on. They heard she squeal loudly and she opened the door, grinning. The dress was amazing on her, the halter top setting off her shoulders and the short hem making her already long legs look two miles long.

"Looks great, Maggie." Trouble said appreciatively.

"Now we gotta find something for Trouble. It's my homecoming, and I know she wanted to look good." Cass said, throwing a face back at Trouble, who just held out her hand for Cass to continue. Maggie skipped to the closet to help. They found a charcoal, almost black, short, backless dress and Cass brought it to her. "This is perfect. Put it on, girl. Trouble grinned up at her, unable to resist in infectious excitement and got up, turning around and stripping her shirt off. She quickly had the dress on and moved it down, adjusting it. It fell to mid thigh, and like the other girls, her legs looked amazing. Even she could say that. She went to the mirror and turned around to see the back. She hadn't had a chance to wear this dress yet, and it fell low on her back, exposing almost all of it.

While she was checking herself out, Cass had slipping into the red dress and she turned around for Maggie, who clapped her hands happily. With her short black hair and black rimmed eyes, she looked like a goddess in hell. She was gorgeous. She grabbed a black liner and did more around her eyes, and Maggie's. When she wouldn't give up, Trouble let her do the same. When she looked, she thought the effect was effective. It was quite pretty.

"Hair up or down?" She asked them and Cass frowned.

"Let it down, let me see." Cass said and Trouble did so. Having it in the clip had made it wavy and it fell over she shoulders beautifully framing her face.

"Down." They both said together and Trouble laughed at them.

"Well girls, you ready? The guys have been at it for over an hour now and I need to catch up." Cass said and threw open the door, leading the girls into the common room.


	24. Party on, Garth

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Rick and Shane stood closely together, Rick with a coke, but Shane had been drinking for a couple hours and was pretty well lubricated. Ian had taken his usual place on his stool in the corner next to the couches and Dean and Sam were talking to Glen around the coffee table. T-Dog would join them occasionally but would get up for another drink or to pace, obviously waiting for Cass.

Glen saw them first and the poor guy fell off his chair. Rick looked at him, confused, but followed his gaze and saw Trouble with Maggie and Cass standing in the doorway, and he almost dropped his can. They looked like angels, goddesses, anything magical and not of this earth. Shane followed his eyes and Rick heard his breath catch in his throat. Then they spread quickly. Maggie went to Glen and sat on his lap. T-Dog raced to Cass's side and grabbed her hand pulling her out to dance to a song he had started. 'Get Low', and she began to dance with him, total dirty dancing. She twisted her arms up around his neck and turned around, gliding down him and back up. Dean and Sam couldn't keep their eyes off her. But Ian, Shane, and Rick only had eyes for Trouble.

She walked past them and when Rick saw the backless part of her dress he felt his stomach turn over dangerously. Shane sucked his breath back in through his teeth as she disappeared through the kitchen door. She came back out a second later with a can of coke and she grinned at them.

"Hey. You guys having fun?" She asked and they nodded, speechless. "Sorry it took so long. Cass is kind of a war horse when it comes to fighting and clothes."

"You look great." Rick choked the words out and she nodded.

"Again, that's all Cass." She said as the girl danced forward and grabbed Trouble, yanking her to the middle of the room with her and T-Dog. Trouble held up a finger and grabbed the remote. She leaned over Sam and Dean. "Any objections to a change in music?" She asked the group and Maggie got up to help her pick something. They settled on 'She Wolf', and Cass grabbed Maggie's arms and the three of them started to dance with the beat. All eyes were glued to them, Cass with her whirling arms, Maggie's long graceful legs, and Trouble's flowing hair and graceful back, spinning and turning around each other.

"My God." Shane let out a breath and went to a nearby chair, sitting down hard. When the song was over Cass grabbed the remote and turned on 'Soldier'. T-Dog whooped and he and Cass continued to dance.

Trouble took the opportunity to grab her coke and go sit next next to Ian. She crossed her legs and grinned at him.

"It begins." He said wryly, and she lifted an eyebrow.

"That bad, huh?"

He shrugged, taking a drink of his beer. "It's the end of the world and I'm sitting in a completely secure house with beer and the last three hot women left in the world. It's horrible."

"So what's the problem?" She asked, frowning.

"The problem is I want to rip that dress off of you right here, and I doubt it will go over well." He looked at her squarely, his blue eyes heavy with lust and she felt a tingle go up her spine. He looked predatory, dangerous. She swallowed.

"I think, if you give it a little time, you might get your wish." She said, and smiled at Cass as she joined the group and went to sit between Sam and Dean. Dean put his arm around her on the couch and she squeezed his knee affectionately.

He smiled into his hand as he wiped it over his face. He shook his head and took a deep breath, wondering how one woman could possibly ooze this much sex appeal. It had been over a year and he still couldn't figure it out. Cass looked over at Trouble and motioned. Trouble got down from her stool and came closer.

"Babe, you know my bag, yeah?" She said.

"It's early, isn't it?" Trouble asked with a smirk.

"It's never too early, honey." Cass drawled and Dean whooped, clapping his hands. Trouble held up her hands and backed up, heading for the hallway and making a motion for Rick to follow. She got halfway down the hallway when he caught up with her, watching her bare back and swishing hips. She looked back at him as she walked.

"I told you this was going to get crazy." She said as they entered Cass' room.

"What's going on?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest and watching as she got down on her knees and looked under Cass' bed.

"Well, Officer, let's just say I'm glad you're off duty." She fished out a bag and opened it, pulling out the largest bag of weed he'd ever seen, grinning with amusement.

"Wow." He said, stepping forward and taking it, turning it over in his hands.

"And it's the good stuff too, knowing her. Medical, fuck you up stuff." She said, taking it back and stuffing it in the bag. "Party on, Garth." She said dryly and they left the room. "How's Shane?" She asked as they walked.

"Tipsy." he answered.

"Then this should be interesting."

They got back and she tossed the bag into Cass' lap. T-Dog had taken a spot on the floor across from her at the table and they all dove for the pot, rolling joints and lighting up with Cass' pipe. She turned to Ian as she sat back down.

"If you want to do it, go ahead." She said, taking a drink of her coke.

"You sure? What about tonight?" He asked in a low voice.

She shrugged. "As long as you don't pass out, I don't see any reason why things can't continue as planned. Just... give me your gun. You know how Cass is when she goes off the board."

He pulled out his sidearm and handed it to her. She took it and checked the safety. "Thank you." She stood. "I'll join you in a bit. Go on" She grinned and he returned it, going to take a place next to T-Dog. Trouble walked around and held up Ian's gun to Dean and holding out her hand. He frowned and she shook her head.

"Pot rules, Dean. You know this." She said and he took out his gun, handing it to her. Sam did the same, and she took the three of them to the control room. Rick saw and he and Shane followed her. When they got to the room she had gone to the back wall and was snapping the magazine out of Ian's gun quickly. She looked like a gun show model doing such work in that dress. She looked back at the them for a second.

"Cass gets a little gun happy sometimes. Best not to tempt her." She said, finishing up Dean's and Sam's guns as well. She hung them up and sighed, coming to stand in front of them, her hands on her hips. "Here we go..." She widened her eyes and passed them, going back to the common room, and they followed, glancing at each other as they went.

"There she is! Why did you and the coppers run off?" She asked, her eyes slightly glassy.

"I'm glad you're having fun, Cass." Trouble smiled, approaching the group. "I hope you know you're fucking up more than half my manpower here." Ian was looking up at her adoringly, that sideways grin on his face. He wasn't quite swaying, but he definitely looked relaxed.

"My goal was to fuck you up." Cass said and T-Dog let out a low 'whoooo'. Cass held her joint up and Trouble raised an eyebrow at her.

"Fine, but if you get eaten don't come crying to me." She said, taking the joint. She took a deep draw the the group applauded. She held her breath and when she broke and let the smoke out, she laughed a little. "Damn, where'd you get that?"

"Medical supply company. The president couldn't even get this shit." She said and the group laughed. "You need to catch up, girl. Here, do another one." She said and held out a pipe. Trouble put the lighter to the top and breathed in deeply, holding her breath and handing it down to Ian beside her. She grabbed the remote and put 'American Boy' from Estelle on and Maggie yelped.

"I love this song!" She said and grabbed Trouble, dragging her to the middle of the room and they danced.

"Make the circle bigger, come on." Cass said, brushing people back. "Rick, Shane, get your asses over here."

Rick walked past Trouble and Maggie dancing and shook his head. "I don't think so, thanks." He said and everyone booed.

"Come on, man. Don't be like that." T-Dog said, letting out a cloud of smoke. Rick grinned down at him and shrugged. He accepted the joint and took a deep breath, and the room erupted in applause. "Now you, Shane." T said and Rick looked back at his friend and shrugged, holding the joint out to him.

Shane looked at Trouble dancing and realized he was not going to get through this night with some help. "What the hell." He said and took the joint.

The next few hours passed in a blur for everyone. T-Dog and Trouble, Maggie, Cass, even Glen dancing. More joints passed around, music switching from rock to rap, to blues to country. Sam dragged Trouble out for a line dancing session and they moved their feet deftly, spinning and dipping.

Trouble slipped away and to the kitchen after that and was digging in the fridge for a soda when she felt a finger run down her bare back. She jumped and looked up to see Shane standing over her, his eyes glassy and his breath quick in his chest. She licked her lips and closed the door, backing up as he approached.

"Hey. What are you doing?" She tried to say casually, but it was difficult to think with the haze in her brain.

"Watching you dance, in this dress..." He traced his finger back up her spine and around her neck to move her hair off her shoulder. "I miss you, baby."

"I'm sorry about everything, Shane." She said, blinking rapidly. "But this isn't gonna happen tonight. Not like this."

"What? Me telling you I love you?" He said slowly, still advancing on her till she felt the counter behind her. He tilted his head to the side and looked down at her dangerously, in that way he tended to do. "Me touching you?" He ran a hand down her shoulder to her hand and back up.

"Yes, that stuff." She said, and tried to push past him, but he put his arm down on the counter to block her.

"Don't. I'm gonna tell you this, I've been waiting." He said, putting a finger under the shoulder of her dress and tugging it down her shoulder. She grabbed it and pulled it back up, ducking quickly under his arm and darting out the door. The party was over.

They didn't put up too much of a fight when she turned the music off. Sam had long ago passed out and Maggie and Glen were kind enough to drag him off to his room for her. T-Dog and Cass had long ago disappeared in a corner, making out furiously, and when she looked around, she realized they had gone, probably down to his room. Rick saw what she was doing and when an angry Shane came from the kitchen and headed for Trouble, even in his wasted stage he was able to head him off and get him to his room. He was about ready to collapse anyway.

Ian stood and came close to Trouble as she herded everyone off. When Rick had disappeared into his room, leaving them the last two in the common room, he came up behind her and pursed his lips as he ran his hand up her thigh. She looked up into his beautiful face, and bit her lip. He scrunched his forehead as he felt any self control he had leave his body and he almost picked her up. Instead, he grabbed her hand and they ran down the hallway, quietly, to his room. He shut the door behind them and grabbed her, pulling her toward him and pressing his mouth against hers, his tongue pushing inside feverishly. She worked as quickly as he did, pulling the black shirt he wore over his head and scratching lightly down the front of his muscular chest. He pulled the wide straps of her dress off her shoulders and pushed the garment to the floor. She unzipped his jeans and yanked them down, freeing the massive erection he had been hiding for hours while he'd watched her. He stepped out of them and threw her on the bed, her gold hair spreading out around her. She licked her lips and watched him kiss along her stomach, running his hands up her thighs. He grabbed her small lace panties and pulled them off her, kissing up her thigh and she threw her head back. When he reached her center she stifled a cry. He slipped his finger inside of her while his tongue danced over her most sensitive parts, and she moaned, throwing her head to the side. He brought her to the edge and over easily with his deft movements and when the fireworks had fallen from the backs of her eyelids, she pushed him back on the bed and straddled him. He looked up at her with wide, desperate eyes, his dark eyebrows furrowed in anticipation. She centered herself and pushed down and he groaned with pleasure. Her climax had caused her already tight body to tighten further and he slowed her after a couple thrusts, not wanting it end again. She was sitting up straight on him and he watched her move up and down with glazed eyes. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, the way she threw her head back and her hair fell over her shoulders and face.

He felt himself explode into her and he let out a harsh gasp, holding her hips still as he throbbed inside her. She threw her head back and reveled in the feeling. When he began breathing again, she couldn't resist and started pumping her hips again. The look on his face when he came was too much of a turn on for her. It was only a couple movements that did it for her and she bit her lip to keep from screaming as the ocean hit her like punch again and she thrust down harder to get him deeper. Gasping with pleasure, she opened her eyes and rolled off him, catching her breath on her back next to him while he did the same. They looked at each other and knew they weren't done yet. Not that night.

The morning came soon and fast and she groaned when she opened her eyes and saw his bedside clock. 7:00. She thought about the night before and groaned, she felt awful. But she looked over at the sleeping Ian and smiled. She was also sore, in such a good way. They'd made love three times before passing out, each one coming every time, at least once. She was spent.

Very quietly, she grabbed one of his shirts and a pair of his jeans and tugged them on, throwing her discarded dress in the bottom of his closet. She slipped out of the room and was grateful to see the hallway still empty. She slid along the wall to her room and slipped inside, taking Ian's clothes off and going for the shower. She could smell Ian on her, and she loved it, but she also smelled like pot and whiskey, and that would not do. She showered quickly and was fully intending to get dressed and get out there, but her bed just looked too damn good. She would have stayed in Ian's bed if it weren't for the barging in the most people did. She grinned and slipped a teeshirt over her head and and slid in between the soft sheets of her big, comfy bed. She slipped easily back to sleep, her body giving in easily.

Rick had woken up earlier than everyone else, his head still a little fuzzy from the events of the night before. He laid there in his bed for a while, listening for sounds of the house outside, but none came. He was supposed to go to the roof with Trouble today, and he was looking forward to it. He thought about her, how he had watched her dance the night before. How he'd gotten high for exactly the second time in his whole life, and how it wasn't going to happen again. He had had a taste of excess, and he didn't like how it made him want to forget everything he knew was right and do exactly the wrong things. Like wanting to pick Trouble up and throw her over his shoulder, dragging her off to this bed and do things to her that would make her scream. It made the need so intense it frightened him.

Groaning, he stretched and got out of bed. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was well past ten, and Carl would have been up with Carol for a while. He showered and got dressed quickly, grabbing a white shirt for the trip to the roof later. He went out to apologize to Carol for sleeping late.

There was something to be said for the ventilation system in the place. The common room only faintly smelled like pot, but the cups, bottles, glasses and things they had used were everywhere. Cass' bag was still by the couch and he gathered the pot and things from the table and put them inside. He tossed the bag in his room and cleaned up the mess in the room. He was just finishing it up when Dean wandered out, his eyes tired and puffy.

"Hell of a night, huh man?" He said, coughing his way out of a scratchy voice.

"I can do without another one for a while." Rick said, wrapping up the bag he had gathered and wiping the table off with a clean towel.

"Yeah." Dean nodding, crashing into the couch. "I been goin at it a little heavy lately. Gotta slow down."

"I'll get you some coffee." Rick said and Dean grunted. Carol had made a pot and he poured a cup and left it black for Dean. Bringing it back, he sat it down in front of the young man and took the seat across from him, both laying back and trying to recuperate from the party.

Everyone had woken and three pots of coffee had been made and drank before Rick went and knocked on Trouble's door.

"Yeah?" She called out and he poked his head inside, seeing her form in the dark room, her face buried halfway in the pillow.

"It's me." He said, stepping inside. "I was just checking on you. Even Cass is up."

She sat up and put her arms around her knees, rubbing her face and looking back at the clock. "Wow, it's really 1:30?"

"Yeah. You ok?" He asked taking a step forward. Even in the dim light he could see she was tired.

"Yeah, just not feeling so hot. I think I over did it last night." She said, stretching.

"I think we all did." He said as she moved to scoot back, hitting her hand and wincing again. "Still hurting you?" He said and stepped forward, taking her hand in his. Sitting down on the side of her bed, he unwrapped it gently and took a look. It was pretty much the same as he had seen before. It didn't look much worse, but it didn't look any better either and that concerned him. He lifted a hand and laid it on her forehead. She was running a temperature, not bad, but definitely there.

"I think you're getting sick from this." He said and she looked down at her hand.

"I'll go get the stuff to change the bandage. And you should probably have Hershel look at it next time you see him." Rick said and slipped out the door. He came back a few minutes later with tape, gauze, and ointment. She put her knees up under her chin and watched him as he worked, sitting next to her on the bed, focused on doctoring up her injured hand. She watched his face, his brow furrowed with concentration, his pretty blue eyes, the kind mouth that smiled easily. He really was a special guy. She found herself wondering if he would ever be happy.

"I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean for you to get pressured into doing anything you didn't want to do." She said, looking up at him apologetically.

"No worries. Probably good to get it out of our system." He said, his eyes staying on her hand as he finished re-wrapping it. He was almost done when Cass threw herself through the doorway.

"Oh my God, Trouble. T-Dog is a beast!" She was laughing loudly and paused when she saw Rick. "Oh, what's goin' on here?" She said with a flick of her eyebrow.

"I cut my hand and it's getting infected." Trouble said as he let go and she looked up at Cass, who had come close to watch. "Rick has been kind enough to play doctor."

"Mmm..." Cass looked at her mischievously. "I see that. Good to know, in case I ever need to be wrapped up." She eyed Rick suggestively and he coughed lightly in his hand. "Hope that's not the best present you get all day, though."

"Cass, shut up." Trouble said quickly. She had avoided the topic of her birthday, which just happened to be today, like the plague. But Cass would have none of it.

"Why do you think I got here now? You think I'm going to let your 21st go by like that?" Cass asked, throwing herself into the armchair in the corner and crossing her long legs.

Rick looked at Trouble, surprised. "It's your birthday?" He had no idea. Even Sam and Dean hadn't said anything."

"Please don't make a big deal out of it." Trouble said tiredly, rubbing her forehead. "It's not really like these things matter anymore."

"You're 21st always matters. And hell, birthdays are a badge of survival now. They should be celebrated more than ever." Cass scoffed and Rick looked at the floor, his head whirring. She was 21. It occurred to him just how much he and Shane were separated from her by age, by tenacity, by everything. He suddenly felt like an old man.

"I'm ignoring you now." Trouble said to Cass and Rick stood, excusing himself and stepping out of the room. Shane was passing and looked at him curiously.

"She ok? Never seen her sleep this late straight through." Shane said, falling into step beside him as Rick went back to his room.

"Did you know it's her birthday?" Rick asked and Shane's eyebrows went sky high.

"No, and there is yet another reason I'm a son of a bitch. She's 21." Shane said, putting his hands on his hips and looking at the floor.

"Yeah, 21. It's... young, man." Rick said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and sighing deeply, his elbows on his knees. "These kids around here, kids Shane, we're not like them. You got Hershell, then you, me and Andrea, and then you got all the rest of them. Ian's not even 24, and he's the oldest.

Shane looked sideways down at him, listening. "I know, but they don't exactly act it."

Rick looked at him with wide eyes. "Are you joking? We smoking pot last night, man. The parties, the drinking. Just because they arm themselves and shoot things doesn't make them grown."

"What are you sayin, man?" Shane looked at him sideways.

Rick looked at him for a moment. This wasn't going anywhere, he didn't even know what he was trying to say himself. "Nothing. We should do something for her." He said, sighing, and standing up.

"Yeah, what are you thinkin'? Shane asked, seeming grateful to have the subject dropped. He was well aware of the age difference. It was part of the reason they hadn't worked out- he's looked at her like someone that needed to be taken care of and she wanted to work with him, by him, not under him.

Sam and Dean burst into the room as Trouble came out of the bathroom, having changed into a black long sleeved v neck shirt and shorts. She kept her long legs and feet bare, it was how she was most comfortable. She was putting her long hair up into a ponytail as they swept in, Sam with a tray that was loaded with bagels, orange juice, and bacon. She grinned as they took it to her bed and Sam flopped down across the bottom, grabbing half a bagel.

"We made you breakfast for your birthday." He said, his mouth full. Dean came up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close and kissing her cheek.

"Happy Birthday, sweetheart." He said, looking down at her with eyes matching hers. She grinned and went to the bed. She grabbed a piece of bacon as Sam got up and leaned over, grabbing the back of her head and leaning in to bump foreheads with her before he kissed the spot he bumped.

"Happy Birthday." He grinned and laid back down.

"Did I miss everything?" Ian asked from the doorway and she grinned when she saw him. He shut the door behind him and went to the bed, hugging her tightly. They were discrete, only Cass grinned when she saw the exchange because she knew the truth. "Happy Birthday, Trouble."

"Thank you." She said, grabbing the orange juice and taking a big drink. "How are you guys feeling today?" She asked around the room and Dean groaned.

"Like this is the first time I've been sober in days."

"It is." She said, taking a bite of a bagel half. Ian sat down next to her and leaned back against the pillows, drinking some of her orange juice and stealing a piece of bacon.

"Don't remind me. My brain is already screaming loud enough." Dean said, going to take the chair opposite Cass and sinking in it tiredly.

"So, this is so much fun," Cass said with a roll of her eyes. "But what are we gonna do? We gotta do something."

"Something to you involves alcohol and weed. I'm not feeling it, Cass. Just a relaxing day, huh? No big attention paid to it, please." Trouble said, leaning back next to Ian and pulling her legs up underneath her. "I feel awful anyway."

Cass looked around the room to the guys for backup, but Dean was slumped in the chair like an old man and Sam looked asleep across the bottom of her bed. Ian was taking another piece of bacon and watching the room in that Cheshire Cat way he did. Letting out a deep breath, Cass slapped her knees and got up. "You guys used to be so much fun. What happened?"

"The world tried to kill us." Sam said, his eyes still closed. Trouble chuckled as Cass got all flustered.

"Well, I know one person who is still willing to freak out. I'll see you people later." She said and left the room, presumably to find T-Dog. Trouble and Ian watched her go and Dean groaned.

"If it's all the same, I'm going to drink a gallon of water and take a shower. I am... unacceptable right now." He said and slowly got to his feet.

"Me too." Sam said, opening his eyes and getting off the bed. "Love you."

She grinned. "Love you, too." She said as they left the room.

"I should do the same." Ian said after they left, and looked down at his unusually wrinkled shirt. He looked back at her and frowned. He touched her forehead. "You're running a fever. You still taking the antibiotics?"

She nodded "Don't miss any."

"Does it hurt much?" He asked, looking at her hand.

"Yeah." She said and grabbed the pills Cass had brought, taking three. She had a full stomach, she would need more to get the pain to fade.

"Alright," He said, kissing her and standing. "By the way, I'm keeping the dress." He said as he grabbed the shirt and jeans she had taken from him and walked to the door. She grinned, watching him go.

She stretched and yawned, taking the tray to her table and sitting it there. She gathered the few scattered articles of clothing from the room and made her bed quickly. She folded a shirt and put it in her bureau and glanced at the top of the dresser. A couple bottles of nail polish that had sat untouched for months were there and she picked up one of the bottles and bit her lip. When was the last time she had done something so girly? Cass was having an effect on her because she grabbed the dark maroon polish and went back to her bed. She grabbed the remote and turned on oldies, the first time she had done so in ages. The songs reminded her of her mother, but today, that didn't seem like such a bad thing. The Monkees came through the speakers and she began to paint her toenails and sing along. When she was done she lit a cigarette and looked at her work. They looked good, professional. She was a perfectionist about those things.

The music changed and 'Walk Like A Man' began over the speakers and she let out a long breath. When she was little, her mother would play this and they would dance around the house, singing the words as loud as they could. She wiped a tear away from her face and began to paint her hands.

"Oldies." Sam said, walking back into the common room. Dean looked up at him, confused. "Dude, she's back there playing oldies. Alone."

"Oh, that's not good." Dean said, sitting back on the couch. Rick was sitting across from him on a chair and looked at the two of them with raised eyebrows.

"Why is that not good?" He asked.

"Means she's feeling nostalgic. She does that and she just gets sad and pissed. Last time she got drunk, threw a glass at Dean and didn't come out for 12 hours." Sam said and Rick nodded.

"Ah." He said, suddenly hearing the music from the hallway filter through. Even through the closed door they could easily hear it, she had cranked it so loudly.

"Let's get back there, man. Before she gets too far." Dean said, standing and the three of them walked slowly back to the room, Dean throwing a tentative look back at Sam. The music changed before they got there and Marvelettes began.

The music had drawn attention, and Ian and Shane had drifted out into the hallway, puzzled looks on their faces growing when they saw the three other men huddled around her door.

"Tell me she isn't." Ian said, sighing.

"She is." Dean said, staring at the door.

"What is going on?" Shane asked, thoroughly confused.

"Possible nervous breakdown." Rick said, glancing over at him and Shane looked at him like he was crazy.

"Game plan?" Sam asked.

"Drug her till it passes?" Ian tilted his head and widened his eyes with the question.

"She won't let you get close enough." Sam said. The music changed again, and went up a little higher. The Crystals.

"Oh, man." Dean said, reaching out a hand and pushing the door open, his mouth falling open.

Trouble was on her bed, dancing. She looked like a 60's go go girl, she did the swim, her arms moving forward and back, her long blond hair free and spinning, her hips shaking to the music. The men crowded around her door, completely shocked at the carefree happy girl. She jumped down off the bed and spun across the floor, swinging her arms up over head and back down.

Dean burst out laughing and ran in the room, and she didn't even seem surprised when he picked up with her, albeit dancing more like a seizure victim than her accurate 60's version. Ian and Sam joined her and the four of them hopped and spun each other around the room, laughing wildly. Rick was crying with laughter, watching them, and even Shane had begun to chuckle.

When Glen Miller came on Sam grabbed Trouble and the others backed up. He took her hands and they started to swing dance, he was picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder, and even on the carpet, Rick and Shane had to admit they were awesome. She shook her hips as she circled him and he picked her up and she spun over his arm and came back to the floor with light feet skipping in time to the music. They moved with matching steps and she went through his legs and back up nimbly, circling him again. The music faded and they finally slowed, Rick and Shane stepping in all the way as she sank to the floor laughing with Sam as Dean turned the music down.

"Where did you learn that?" Rick asked, amused. It was the coolest thing he'd ever experienced. He looked over at Shane, who was staring at her with a sad expression. He hadn't seen her let go like this since he had first gotten there, that night he had caught her alone in the training room.

She caught her breath from laughter and looked up at them as she pointed to Sam, who had collapsed in a heap of heavy breathing and tears of laughter. "Sammy here is a swing dance champion, three years running."

"What about you?" Rick asked. Sam had been great, she had been phenomenal.

"She helped me train." Sam responded, sitting up and wiping his forehead. "I haven't done that in years."

"Well, it was amazing." Rick said. "Shane?"

"Yeah, that was somethin' alright." He answered, looking at her long legs spread out in front of her.

"That was the most fun I've had in ages." Trouble said, leaning back against Dean.

"We thought you might be back here drowning yourself in the sink or something." He said. He was always brutally honest with her.

"I can't do that." She scoffed, getting to her feet and grabbing a bottle of water. "You people need me too bad."

"Yeah, we do." Ian looked up at her earnestly. Rick and Shane ducked out quietly, leaving the four of them be.

"She is always doing something new, isn't she?" Shane said as they went back to their rooms.

"Seems like. You see those moves? The way he flipped her?" Rick asked, still chuckling at the sight of the girl just losing it and dancing.

"Yeah, man. I'd look like a monkey doin that." He said, shaking his head.

"You and me both." Rick said.

Dean and Sam drifted out as Trouble got up and laid across her bed, exhausted from the insane exercise. Ian stayed, not wanting to leave her, ever. He never did. Opening that door and seeing her dancing across the room had not only amused him, it had turned him on very, very much. Just like everything she did.

"You don't ever do that anymore." He said, laying next to her on the bed.

"Never much of a reason to." She said, yawning.

"You're tired. Do you want to try and get some more sleep?" He asked, stroking her side with his fingertip.

"No. I promised Rick I would show him the solar panels today." She said, stretching lazily.

"You don't have to do that now, you know. Besides, I don't think you can." He said slowly, drawing circles up her thigh to the bottom of her shorts that barely covered her.

She looked up at him curiously. "Really? Why would that be?"

"It snowed. A good two feet, overnight." He said and she groaned, rubbing her eyes with her palms.

"Oh no, I didn't get a chance to finish up there. The access panel will be sealed." She said.

"Plus side, it's not like any walkers are going to shuffle through all that snow. So we're good till it melts." Ian said and she looked back at him.

"You got a point." She said, grinning at him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her when he leaned in to kiss her. They didn't even bother to lock the door when he began to run his hands up under her shirt.

Carol was almost finished with the birthday cake when Rick came back out to the kitchen to check on things before dinner. It had been easy to plan, Trouble had kept herself occupied in her room as they worked to prepare the place for a spur of the moment birthday party. Maggie and Cass had hung some balloons they had found in a closet on the walls, leaving some of them bouncing loose across the floor. Carol was baking a chocolate cake in the kitchen, and Carl was busy making her a card at the common room table, crayons and glitter spread around him randomly.

T-Dog had gone to his room, claiming he had to get her present ready, and Glen was setting the table for dinner. Even Hershel was in on the activities, though he had disappeared somewhere a while back.

"Are you sure she's going to like this dinner?" Carol asked him as Rick came into the kitchen. She was looking down at the meatloaf she had prepared nervously.

"I know she will." Rick said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder and she smiled. "Have you seen Shane?" He asked and she glanced back at him from the sink.

"I think I saw him going down that hallway a while back." She said, and pointed toward the control room. Rick nodded and headed back that way. He saw Shane at the desk, watching the screens intently. "It's almost time." He said.

Shane looked over at him. "Yeah." He grunted as he got out of the chair and made his way to the kitchen to wait with the others.

Rick went back down the hallway and knocked on Dean's door. He and Sam were inside, and he called them to dinner. Sam left to get Ian while Rick went to Trouble's door. She called out and he poked his head inside. She was sitting on her bed, going through a packet of papers on her bed, and looked up as he entered.

"Dinner." He said with a smile and she nodded, pushing the paper aside and standing up. She still was wearing the black shirt and shorts and she looked athletic and toned. She followed him, meeting Ian and Sam in the hallway, to the common room, and blushed terribly when she saw the balloons.

"You guys are not going to do this to me, are you?" She asked with a grimace and they grinned.

"You bet your ass we are." Sam said and they followed her into the dining room, where everyone else in the house was waiting. A hearty chorus of Happy Birthday broke out and she put her face in her hands, laughing.

When it was done she looked up and waved, smiling. "Thank you. So very much. Please stop."

They laughed and sat down to dinner. The meatloaf was delicious, and it was quickly gone, the conversation loud and animated. Mostly because of Cass, who had taken a place on the other side of Ian. They listened to her chatter and Trouble found herself looking at Shane, who was playing with the food on his plate, not really eating much. She frowned, looking down at her plate. Nothing she could do there.

The cake came right after, and she obliged everyone by blowing out the candles and helping Carol cut it and hand it out. At one point, Ian reached under the table and squeezed her knee gently. He knew this was making her uncomfortable.

"Present time!" Cass yelled excitedly when most of the people had finished the cake. She grabbed Trouble's arm and pulled her out into the common room, the others following close behind. She sat Trouble squarely down in the middle of the couch, and went to grab a bundle from behind the bookcase. Sam and Dean sat to her left, Ian and Rick to her right, while the rest of them gathered around to watch. Cass came back and handed the bundle to Trouble, who unwrapped it quickly and uncovered a large quantity of arrows tied together. She looked up at Cass excitedly.

"I was almost out! That is awesome." She said, looking at the arrows closely. They were very high quality, carbon tipped. So good.

"Yeah, hope you like 'em, 'cause there are thirty more in the back of my car for you." Cass said with excited eyes. She knew Trouble loved her bow, and when she had run across these in Birmingham she had grabbed them instantly. Been carrying them for six months.

Hershel stepped forward and handed her a small box. "This is from Maggie, Glen, and myself." He said and she accepted it with a smile.

"You didn't have to do anything, you guys." She said, and Maggie urged her to open it with a wide smile. She unwrapped it quickly and opened the box, revealing a tiny, filigreed gold ring. She gasped and looked up at them with wide eyes. Hershel spoke as she picked it up carefully and looked at it. It was delicate and sparkling, really beautiful.

"It was my wife's, Maggie's mother. I hope you love it as much as she did." He said and Trouble got up, putting her arms around the old man's neck tightly. She did the same with Maggie, kissing her on the cheek, and with Glenn.

"Thank you." She breathed and slipped it on her right hand. It fit perfectly and Maggie clapped her hands together. She went back and sat on the couch, looking at it on her hand.

T-Dog sat up and handed her a hankerchief tied into a little bundle. She grinned and looked at it, untying it and finding a coin with a bullet stuck in the middle of it. She looked up at him curiously and he grinned. "My lucky quarter. I always keep my change in my pants pocket, right? I was in a convenience store one day and got that, and I stuck it in my shirt pocket, don't know why." He said, patting his chest. "Guy came in and shot up the place, got me right in the chest. I thought I was dead, it hurt like a son of a..." He saw Carl and paused, coughing lightly. "I woulda died. I shoulda died. But that quarter saved my life."

She grinned widely and turned it over, looking at it closely. "Anyway, I hope it brings you luck, girl." He finished and she grinned at him.

"Thanks, T." She said, swallowing a lump in her throat. "But what about your luck?"

"I got you now. I'm good." He said affectionately, and she wiped away a tear. He saw and got up, leaning over the table to plant a kiss on the top of her head.

Carol urged Carl forward and he came to the table shyly. He held out a large piece of paper and grinned. "I made this for you."

She took it and looked at the crayon and glitter picture he had drawn and colored. It was her, holding a bow, with a bright sun and hills and grass behind her. It had 'Happy Birthday Trouble, I love you' written on it and she grinned at him. She grabbed his hand and Rick followed as she took Carl back to her room. He watched from the door way as she grabbed a roll of scotch tape from her drawer and hung it up on the wall next to her mirror and looked back at Carl proudly.

"Now I can see it every morning when I wake up. I love it, Carl. Thank you." She said, kneeling down and Carl hugged her tightly. Rick smiled, meeting her eyes over Carl's shoulder. He nodded at her, and she smiled, hugging the boy tightly. They got up and went quickly back to the common room, and she landed back on the couch. Dean got a box out and handed it to her.

"This is from Sam, Ian and me." He said and she grinned, taking it. She opened it and found an Ipod inside and she looked at them, surprised.

"Found it in one of the cars on the highway, and Sam loaded it with your music." Ian said and she let out a laugh.

"That is kick ass, dude." She said, turning it on and flipping through it. Sure enough, song after song that she loved, and she laughed out loud. "Awesome. Thank you!"

Everyone sat back and watched her for a few minutes, and then Carol spoke. "Say goodnight, Carl. It's bedtime."

"Night. Happy Birthday, Trouble." He said, coming up to the back of the couch.

"Goodnight, Carl. Thank you." She said to the boy and he grinned, letting Carol lead him away. Rick excused himself and followed to help her put the boy to bed. Hershel also said his goodnights and she thanked him again as he left.

Cass jumped up and went for a beer. "It's on now! Oooo—eeee!" She said, dancing across the floor sideways. She tried to get Sam and Dean to go for it and they both groaned.

"We almost died last night, girl. We're taking it a little slower tonight." Dean said, holding up his hands.

"Oh no you're not." She scoffed and raised an eyebrow at them disbelievingly.

"Uh, yeah." Sam agreed and she sat down on the floor next to T-Dog, pouting. He wrapped his arm tightly around her and she grinned again, running her fingers over his knee. Shane came around to the back of the couch and tapped her on the shoulder, and when she turned, he motioned for her to follow. She got up quickly and met him in the corner.

"Let me see that quarter T gave you." He said and she held it up on her palm.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he picked it up and looked at it, turning it over in his hand.

"Trust me. I'll be back." He said and she watched him take the coin and disappear down the hall toward the control room. She wanted to go after him, but she took a deep breath and let him go. If he hurt it, she would kill him later.

She turned back to the group and Cass had turned the music on, lower than normal because of Dean's protests, but she was playing Eminem, so that's probably part of it. She and Maggie were standing up and she was teaching the girl the moves to the song. Trouble watched and stepped forward, the medication she had taken right before the party had made her a little looser than she might otherwise be.

"You are doing it wrong, Cass." She said and Cass looked up at her with wide eyes.

"Oh yeah, go for it then, chica." She said, rolling her head on her shoulders.

"Here, Maggie. Come here. Ok, start the song over again." She said and Cass hit a button. The music reset and Trouble got next to Maggie and swung her shoulders out and clicked them down slowly, moving her legs like she was walking, and then back up. With the second rotation, Cass had moved next to her and they were moving together, and looked damn good doing it. When Maggie joined, getting the moves down quickly, Glenn's eyes came so far out of his head that he vaguely resembles a praying mantis.

"What other dances do you know?" Maggie asked as Rick returned to the room.

"Ha! Now you did it." Dean barked and they gave him a dirty look. "Cass and Trouble were dancers together."

"Oh yeah? What kind?" Maggie asked and Sam burst out laughing. He looked at her with his eyebrow raised and she got quiet. "Oh."

"Yeah. Thanks, Sam." Trouble said with a glare.

"Hey, you made more money in a night than I did all week." He said, rolling his eyes. "Be proud."

"I went to school, Maggie. So did Cass. Ignore Sam and Dean." Trouble said and Maggie grinned. She stepped back over to them and shook her arms out.

"Fine, then teach me something." She said and Rick grabbed a seat by the table with the rest of the guys to watch them. Cass picked up the remote and a hip hop beat came blaring from the speakers. Cass began to swish her hips and T-Dog gave a whoop whoop.

"Ok, just watch this, then jump in, ok?" Trouble said to her and the girl nodded, watching closely. Trouble and Cass moved side by side and threw their arms out at the same time, twitching their hips to the left and popping them, then the right twice. They swayed together and dropped to the floor and Rick felt his stomach drop to his feet. How unbelievably hot it got...

"Ok, so just pop, lock and drop, ok?" Trouble instructed her. "Leg in, leg in, pop it, and then down and up. Come on."

Maggie stepped next to her and when the chorus started again, they all three moved together. They moved their hips together and dropped to the floor, Cass with a little more of a sexual flair than the other two. She was obviously into it. Maggie laughed loudly when she had perfected it.

"Do you do any other kind of dances?"

"They sure do." Rick said. "You should have seen Sam and Trouble this afternoon."

Maggie looked from him back to Trouble, who groaned.

"Really, Rick?" Trouble said, leveling him with her glare.

He grinned and shrugged. "I want to see more of it. Sam, care to entertain us?"

"Not really." Was Sam's reply, almost a moan.

"Come on, I want to see." Maggie said. "Please? Please please please?"

"Yeah, please?" Rick said and Dean grinned widely. "Yeah, Sam. Come on. Trouble?"

They glared at him. "It carpet up here. Can't really work it out. Sorry." Sam said, and Dean stood.

"Not a problem. The training room has hardwood." He said, getting up.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Sam and Trouble watched Rick, Maggie, T-Dog, and Dean head off toward the elevator and he looked at her with a scowl.

"Good job." He said and she shrugged helplessly. He looked at Cass. "I changed my mind. I _am_ going to need that drink."

She laughed loudly and went to get a bottle of liquor from the cabinet. They didn't bother with glasses, following the others and passing the bottle between them. Ian started to follow and looked back at her. Shane was in the control room still and she smiled at Ian.

"I'll meet you there." She said and he nodded, disappearing down the hallway. Trouble went for the control room, and she found Shane standing by the desk. He jumped when he saw her.

"Hey, I was just on my way back out. Where did everybody go?" he had noticed how quiet it had gotten.

"They are intent on torturing me and Sam because of that little show we did earlier. What are you doing?" She said, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her fingertip.

"Your present." He said with a smile and held up the quarter she had given him. He had drilled a tiny hole in the edge and hung it on a long gold chain, and he dangled it in front of her, his face anxious and hopeful. She took it slowly, letting out a breath.

"How did you..." She said, taking it and turning it around in her hands.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

"I love it. But where did you get-" She started to ask and noticed the chain, the number 22 he always wore around his neck, was gone. He had taken off his lucky necklace and given her the chain. "Oh, Shane."

He raised his eyebrows at her and gave a small smile, and took it back. He opened it and reached on either side of her neck. She raised her hair and he fastened it for her, letting it fall to her chest. She looked down at it, running her fingers along the chain, and looked back up at him, her brow furrowed deeply.

"But your necklace. You always wear that, Shane." She said, looking up into those chocolate eyes she had become so fond of.

"I want you to have it. This means more." He said, pressing his lips together. "Hopefully, you'll see how sorry I am, for everything. That I really, you know, just want you to be happy."

She nodded slowly and came forward, putting her arms around his broad chest. "Thank you." She didn't quite know how to respond, this was very touching. He was a good man, despite his many... acute flaws.

He put his chin on her head and held her tightly. "Happy Birthday, Trouble." She leaned back and he used his thumb to wipe away a tear that was trickling down her cheek. "Be happy."

She licked her lips and nodded, looking back down at the chain. She took his hand and pulled him toward the hallway. They came in to a training room full of activity. She went to join Cass and Maggie on the hardwood, where she was trying to learn more dance moves. Shane went up next to Rick, and swallowed from a bottle of beer he had grabbed before leaving upstairs. It didn't take but a minute to notice Shane's 22 was missing. He looked up at Shane, confused and Shane grinned, his eyebrows raised. He pointed to Trouble, and Rick saw T-Dog's quarter around her neck, hanging from Shane's chain, and his mouth dropped open. The man had been through more than ten years and countless girlfriends, and none had ever warranted taking that chain off his neck. He turned back to look at the girls, shocked.

"Ok, you remember what we were working on before..." Cass asked Trouble and clicked the music on. 'Judas' started to play and Shane went to the door, shutting it to stop the music from flowing out into the hallway of bedrooms.

Cass and Trouble stood back and started to move together, remembering the dance steps. After a moment, they had them down and brought Maggie back to show her. By the second playing of the song, the girl had the steps down and they were moving like a trio of professionals, going through the whole song with choreographed steps. When it was done, Trouble fell over laughing and T-Dog stood up, clapping wildly.

"Maggie, you're really good." She said and the girl grinned.

"I love to dance. Daddy wouldn't let us take more'n ballet though. I learned some stuff on my own, but nothing like this." She said, and Rick stepped forward.

"Get Sam, come on Trouble." He called out and she grinned, looking back at him. Sam had had quite a bit very fast by this time and was a bit more willing to show off. He grabbed the remote and turned on some big band music, and held out his hand for Trouble. It began and they faced each other, joining hands and twisting in a tight circle to the music. He spun her out and back to him and they dipped low and back up quickly. He grabbed her hands and twisted around, pulling her back up between his legs and into the air, spinning her again before she hit the ground and the room burst into applause.

They twisted and moved their feet like lightening, kicking and tapping to the music. He flipped her over his back and over his arms, over and over again till Shane, watching, thought he might get a little nauseous. They were quite a pair, though, very skilled. When the song faded, they bowed and T-Dog came forward, clapping a panting Sam on the back.

"Damn, man!" T-Dog praised him and Sam put his hands on his knees, breathing heavily but grinning. Cass got back up and grabbed Trouble.

"You remember the mirror?" She asked and Trouble's eyes got wide.

"Oh, no, that's been too long. I'll screw it up." She shook her head and Rick and Shane came to sit on the bench and watch the girls with the others.

"Why don't you try it before you shoot it down, huh?" Cass said sarcastically and Trouble, shook her head, chuckling.

"Fine, but you asked for it. Get the music." She said, and backed up, stretching her arms back. "Ok, Maggie. You should like this. Took us two months to get this right."

The music started and she and Cass faced each other. Like the other was a mirror reflection, they moved together to the music. Swaying left then right, spinning once and dropping to the floor and back up before throwing their heads back and spinning around again. They moved perfectly together, the same timing and range of movement. It was obvious they had worked at this partnership a long time. When the song was over, Trouble grinned.

"I cannot believe we remember that." She said and Cass shrugged.

"All the time we clocked on it, we should." Cass answered and Trouble left the floor. She had come down without a drink, and her hand was really starting to hurt. She had hit it a couple times when she was dancing, and she slipped out of the room, going to the elevator. She got upstairs and grabbed a coke from the kitchen before she let herself in her room. She was taking some medicine when she heard the voice at her door.

"Trouble?" Rick was standing there, a small box in his hand and she tilted her head.

"I was coming back down." She said and he nodded.

"Oh, I know, I just... wanted to give this to you privately." He said, looking down at the box in his hand. He came in and she stood up, walking forward and meeting him in the center of the room. He handed her the box, wrapped in paper, and her name written across it in Anna's delicate handwriting. She looked up at him, surprised and he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"I took some of their stuff downstairs and found this on her dresser. When I found out it was your birthday today, I figured she must have wanted you to have it now."

She looked back down at it, her heart in her throat. She turned and went back to her bed, sitting down on the edge and he came and sat across from her. She slid a finger under the paper, careful not to rip Anna's handwriting. She slid the box out slowly and took a deep breath before she opened it. Inside was a piece of paper, folded, and a brooch. It was the silver and gold dove one that she wore on special occasions, a piece of jewelery that Trouble knew she treasured. She felt hot tears come to her cheeks as she picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it.

_"Darling,_

_ This world was a hard one to live in before all this happened. Once, you saved our lives, and then you took it upon yourself to do it every day after. For that, I am eternally grateful. You are special, my dear. Strong, smart, and you have a heart that is bigger than you can ever imagine. Share it with someone who is worthy, protect it, and survive. Because I know you can._

_ I love you, my daughter._

_ Anna_

Trouble let the tears flow over her cheeks, blurring Anna's words and the room around her. She felt the sob come up to her throat and she swallowed hard, trying so hard to not break. She looked up at Rick, who was watching her with such sadness and concern that it made her suck in a breath sharply. He reached out and she laid her head on his shoulder, trembling.

"Thank you, Rick." She said softly and he kissed her hair.

"You're welcome." He wrapped his arms around her tightly, wishing he could take away all the hurt, the pain, the unending hardness she had to deal with every day. They sat like that for a long time, he rubbed her back with his thumb and she laid her cheek against his shoulder, looking down at the brooch in her fingers. Finally, she pulled back and sniffed and he felt the wetness she had left on his shirt. "You want to go back downstairs? Cheer up a bit?" He asked, smiling, wiping the tears from her face.

"No." She shook her head and looked at the dove in her hands. "I think I'm just going to get some sleep."

"Ok. Goodnight." He said, standing and kissing her on the forehead. The carefree girl from downstairs was gone and because of him, the worry-laden young warrior was brought back fully, her eyes haunted and dark. He let out a deep breath and went to her door, turning back before he left. "Happy Birthday, Trouble."

"Thank you, Rick." She said softly and he closed the door behind him as he left.

He went back down to the party, but didn't want to stay. Cass was tossing back liquor like it was water and was getting pretty frisky, and he excused himself after a half hour or so. Maggie and Glenn snuck back to their room somewhere in between, and Ian went looking for Trouble. Rick got upstairs and saw Ian coming from Trouble's door with a frown. He must not have gotten an answer, he shut his own door loudly. Rick looked at her door as he passed, wanting to knock and check on her, but he resisted. In his own room he got undressed quickly and crawled into the bed, exhausted. The day had been long, and he drifted off to sleep thinking of that haunted look in Trouble's eyes.


	25. How do you really feel?

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Trouble woke early. After Rick had left she had heard the knocks from her door, but she didn't want to see anyone, not even Ian. She fell asleep with Anna's dove in her palm and awoke still clutching it tightly. She laid there in the early morning hours and thought about the party from the night before. Hershell's wife's ring on her finger, she held it up and looked at it sparkle in the dim light. The quarter T-Dog had treasured, and Shane's chain. She ran a finger along it and felt it rough and bumpy under her touch. How kind he had been, making the necklace for her. T-Dog had beamed when he saw it, nodding appreciatively at how much it meant to her. Then she looked over at Carl's picture and smiled. Remembered Rick's earnestness when he'd given her Anna's present. These people were good, and they cared, and she would do anything to make sure they were safe.

She got up and showered quickly, getting out and drying off. When she leaned over to brush her teeth, the chain dangled at her neck and she touched it, smiling softly. She needed to apologize to Shane, that much was clear. The poor man had been a mess, and it was all because of her. She tied up her hair and went to her closet.

She grabbed a pale gray button up shirt and tied it at her waist, leaving the top buttons undone. She pulled on a pair of worn jeans that fit her like a glove, soft as cotton, and they hung low on her hips. She left the room and went to Shane's door. She took a deep breath and knocked lightly, hoping he was up. She heard a low cough and she opened the door, poking her head inside. It was pitch black, so she opened the door a little more to let some light in.

"Hey Shane?" She whispered and heard him mumble something. She tilted her head, and leaned in a little bit. "Shane?"

He sat up, bare chested, looking at her with wide eyes. "Trouble." He said quickly and she looked next to him. Cass pulled the sheet over her naked body and winced at the light, holding her arm up. Trouble's eyes got wide and she backed up. "Trouble, wait." Shane said, scrambling to get his pants from the floor.

"No, stay. I'm sorry." She blurted and backed out of the room fast, slamming the door behind her. She stood there in the hallway for a minute, catching her breath and wishing she could burn the eyes from her sockets. She looked down at the chain on her neck and pulled it off like it was burning her. She ran back to her room and threw it on her dresser, looking around frantically. She just wanted her brain to shut the fuck up. Running to the elevator, she hit the button hard. She heard Shane calling in the hallway as the doors shut behind her.

The lobby was colder than usual, and when she saw the wide windows she knew why. The world had turned white, just as Ian had told her. She slowly climbed the stairs to the balcony and sat down against the railing, facing the city spread out below her. She felt the tears that had been behind her eyes constantly spill forward and heat up her cold cheeks.

Shane couldn't feel his insides. They seemed frozen, broken somehow. When he had woken up and saw Trouble standing there in his room he had felt like it was a dream. At first, an answer to his prayers. How many nights he had wished he would wake up and find her there.

Then Cass had stirred next to him and sat up, and he had remembered the night before. After Trouble had left he had taken the rest of T-Dog's bottle and downed it. It was blurry, he was sick with lust for Trouble and it got skewed by this girl that writhed and twisted like a siren in front of him. He remembered seeing T-Dog passed out, remembered everybody else leaving, remembered Cass sitting on his lap on the bench and him grabbing her head and pressing his lips to her mouth. She had been eager, and he had done all those dirty things he had dreamed of, in every position. Things came out of that girl's mouth that even shocked him, and he felt sick thinking of it. It was been base, animalistic. There was not a touch of the love and tenderness he'd had with Trouble. And now that was all he'd have left, because Trouble sure as hell wasn't coming back after this.

He brushed Cass off his arm and went looking for Trouble, but when he didn't find her he returned to his room. He realized he smelled like Cass, and some of her eyeliner was smudged on his neck. She had left his room, thank god, and he showered a long time, trying to wash last night away. Make it disappear, never happened.

When he got out he dressed quickly and looked at himself in the mirror. The place where his 22 hung was bare and he touched it, thinking of his chain around Trouble's neck. Or hopefully was. He left his room again, knowing where she would be.

Ian went to sleep frustrated, and woke even more so. He had wanted Trouble so badly last night but she had been asleep before he realized she was gone. He felt empty as he'd laid in his big bed, wanting nothing more than to hold her. After his shower and shave the next morning, he went to the kitchen and found Cass sitting alone in the dining area, her normally perky mood dramatically diminished.

"Hey. You seen Trouble?" He asked, taking a place in a chair across the table from her.

She shook her head. "Not since this morning. And I don't think she'll be back anytime soon."

Ian narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"She walked in on me. You know." She looked up at him, taking a drink of her coffee. His eyes widened and he got it.

"She's seen that before. Maybe not with T-Dog, but..." He started and she shook her head.

"No, with Shane." She said and threw her head back to stare at the ceiling. Ian sat back and stared at her.

"You gotta be kidding me." He said softly. God, Trouble was already torn up about everything that had happened with Shane. How he had treated her. And then he just sits up and screws her best friend? Asshole...

"I was really drunk, Ian. And he was sitting there all manly. I don't know. God." She said, putting a hand over her eyes.

"Well, she's not with him anymore." Ian said, swallowing hard.

"Maybe not, but there is a big difference in that and seeing him in bed with your friend. She's probably a mess, and I can't go to her." She said. "What would you do, if it were you? Put yourself in her position."

He looked at the table, making a fist and bumping the top of it a couple times lightly. "Yeah. Any idea where she is?"

"Didn't you say we were snowed in?" Cass asked and he nodded. "Well, then she's either in Sam or Dean's room, or the lobby upstairs."

"Did you tell him about us?" Ian asked and she shook her head, taking another sip of coffee. "Alright. It'll be ok, Cass. But I wouldn't let T-Dog know."

"I don't plan on it." She said, shaking her head. "No way."

He frowned and went to Trouble's room, stepping inside and getting a soft cashmere cardigan he found hanging in her closet. He grabbed her pack of cigarettes and was back in the common room when he found Shane waiting for the elevator. He let out a disgusted huff and went to stop him, but paused. Shane was walking into a lion's den and didn't even know it. If he did badly enough, and he probably would, Trouble would have him out at first thaw.

He narrowed his eyes and called out to Shane. Shane's head fell and his shoulders drooped as he turned, his face pinched and tense. "What is it, Ian?" He said tiredly and Ian sauntered up to him and held out the sweater and cigarettes.

"Take these with you. She'll need them." Shane stared at him for a moment before taking them from the younger man's hands.

"Thanks." He said, eying Ian as he stepped back into the elevator. The doors closed and Ian gave the doors a glare as he sat down on the couch and waited.

He emerged in the lobby and looked up at the balcony. Trouble was sitting against the railing, watching the snow fall steadily out the large windows. He bit his lip as he walked up the stairs slowly, waiting for her to turn, to scream, to yell, anything but this scary silence she had going on.

"Trouble?" He finally said when he had been standing at the top of the stairs for a while. Her head tilted a little toward him and she laughed a little.

"Shane. I was wondering how long it'd take you." She said, turning a pair of binoculars around in her hands slowly. She stared out at the valley with dazed eyes and he stepped forward.

"Can we talk?" He asked and she sighed.

"Nothing to talk about." She said, spotting the cigarettes in his hand. "I will take those though." She said, holding out her hand and he gave her the cigarettes. She slowly got one out and lit it, taking a deep breath and letting it out lazily. He sat down across from her and rubbed the top of his head hard.

"It wasn't what you think, Trouble. Please, just let me explain." He began and she held up her hand to stop him.

"Don't. Because you're going to tell me you got drunk, and it just happened, and you're really sorry, and it was a mistake. And I'm going to tell you that while it sucked in its timing, it is absolutely your right to do. We aren't together, you're both adults, and I walked into _your_ room. You didn't do anything wrong." She said with a shrug and took another long drag, looking out over the valley. He sat forward and looked at her closely. She chuckled a little and he let out a breath.

"Let me get you downstairs, please." He said and leaned forward, and her head snapped up.

"Don't touch me." She said in a low, steady voice, and he saw his chain was gone from around her neck. He had really hurt her, drove her to this.

"Fine. But please come with me. It's cold up here." He said, his eyes pleading.

She looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Do not patronize me, Shane. I'm well aware of the temperature, as are you. You have my sweater."

"Yeah. Here." He said, holding the garment out to her. She stuck the cigarette in her mouth and leaned forward to pull it on. When she finished, she sat back and sighed, twirling the cigarette in her fingers. She wasn't going to leave, so he pressed his lips tightly together and sat back against the glass windows in front of her, crossing his arms over his knees. She watched him closely, her eyes like angry slits.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Waiting. You don't leave, I don't leave." He said and she crushed her cigarette out on the concrete.

"We're not a team, Shane." She said, standing up and balancing herself against the railing. She shoved her cigarettes in her back pocket and walked slowly away. "I figured it out."

He got up and got in front of her. "What did you figure out?"

"That I have no clue what you're going to do next. You're asking me to come back, you're shoving me in a corner and feeling me up. Or you give me an amazingly sweet birthday present, and then you sleep with my friends. You make my head hurt." She leaned forward at the last part and walked past him. He ducked in front of her on the stairs again and she sighed. "Go ahead. Get it out."

"I need you. You're right, I was drunk and desperate, and I spent every second of it wishing it were you." He said and she grimaced with disgust. "I'm going crazy being around you every day and not being able to touch you."

He reached out and she swiped at his hand. "I really thought something had changed last night. I was actually coming to tell you...Oh, it doesn't matter." She brushed it off and tried to step past him again, but he stepped back and wrapped his arm around her waist, looking up at her.

"You were coming to tell me what? I need to know." He said, pleading, holding her tightly. She laid her hands on his broad shoulders and swallowed hard.

"Shane, please stop."

"Forget what happened. It was the biggest mistake I could have made. I'm so, so sorry." He said, his eyes wide and desperate.

"It's ok." She said, her hand on his cheek. "You do _not _need to apologize for anything. I'm not." He blinked at her, leaning back slowly.

"What would you apologize for?" He asked, his eyebrows knitting together. She stared at him, and he chuckled, turning around and walking down the stairs. He got to the bottom and put his hands on his hips, deep in thought. "You and Ian."

"It's new. But yeah." She said, watching him. He nodded, rubbing his face with his hand, over his lips hard. He suddenly punched the wall and she jumped, hearing the crack of knuckles against concrete, and when he pulled away, she saw a blood mark on the stone. He hit the button to the elevator and jumped inside. When the doors shut she sat down on the stairs, lighting another cigarette, and stared into space.

Shane didn't say anything to anyone when he got back down, and Ian was absent from sight. A good thing, because Shane would have killed him. He marched back to his room and slammed the door, pacing across the space several times before dropping to his knees by the bed. How had it all gone so wrong? More so, how was he going to fix it?"

Ian had come up a little while later and gotten her, and when he found out Shane knew about them, he seemed to be relieved. They weren't going to wave it in front of everyone, but the sneaking back to rooms was over, and for that, he was over the moon. To be able to wake up with her in the morning and hold her, it was all he ever wanted. So when she fell asleep that evening, early, he had let her be. He had covered her up and let her sleep, knowing they would have tomorrow.

She had woken early and dressed in a pair of white shorts and a long sleeved blue boat neck top. She avoided the kitchen, heading for the training room instead. Rick found her there hours later, alone. He came to the door and stopped, watching her as she moved. She was doing pirouettes and complicated dance poses, holding them for longer than a person should be able to. When she stood on her head and did the splits he let out a breath. She was stunning. He stepped just inside the door and slid to the floor, putting his arms up on his knees and watching.

She was oblivious of him as she danced and moved. She was completely through another song when she finally turned the music down and looked over at him, her hands on her hips, her breath quick in her chest. "Because _that's_ not creepy, or anything." She said dryly, grabbing a bottle of water that had been left on the bench and taking a drink of it.

He stood up and came to sit on the bench. "Sorry. Just wanted to see if you wanted to talk." Of course he knew what was going on. It only took two minutes in a room with Shane or Cass to know something had happened, and now Trouble and T-Dog were both missing from the house, spending as much time as they could alone. Shane was in a real state. He was snapping at everyone, especially Cass, and whenever Ian was around, the daggers that came from his eyes could have put down a walker. It didn't take long for Rick to realize why that was, either. He and Trouble had obviously gotten together. It hurt a little, but it didn't stop him from wanting to take care of her.

"Talk? No. Kill? Hunt? Shoot something? Yeah. But talk?" She shook her head and straddled the bench in front of him and stretching her long legs out on either side of her.

"When I came back, found my family," He began and she frowned, listening. "All I wanted was to see their faces. Find out they were alive. Protect them, you know? Then everything would be fine. No matter what happened, it would be fine because we would be together." He paused and gave a wistful smile, looking out at nothing. "Then when I found them, it was good at first. It was just like I thought it would be. After a while, I noticed the looks. The sideways glances and the pauses... in their words at certain times. But mostly, it was just the way they _felt_ to me around each other. You could almost touch it, it was so strong."

He stood up and walked to the center of the room, and she watched him closely, listening to every word and watching the pain flow through him as he remembered. He turned and looked back at her, his hand out in front of him.

"I knew, you know. A while before Lori finally told me. And I thought, how do I do this? My best friend and my _wife_. How do we move on from here? But I didn't have much time to work on that because every day it was a fight to keep my place. A fight to convince him it was over, when deep down, I knew that it wasn't. Not for her. When he left, he might as well have taken her with him."

"Why are you telling me this?" She spoke softly, feeling tears burn her eyes for the man standing in front of her.

"To show you that you're not alone." He said, tilting his face to look at her and she felt a shudder go through her whole body. He'd suffered so much, and all he wanted was to make sure she was ok. She got up and closed the door, turning back to him. She let out a deep breath and picked up the remote. He didn't recognize the song, but it was one of the ones she had been listening to when he'd been watching her dance.

"It's called 'Deliver Me'." She said, crossing to him, still standing in the middle of the room. A simple piano filled the room, but it was so moving. She held out her hand and he took it, using his other hand to pull her into his arms and they began turning around the room. He wrapped his fingers around her hand and let her lead them in wide circles, she was a natural at it. She looked up at him in the eyes, hers wide and clear and filled with pain, but he could see a gratefulness, too. A deep affection that you can't fake, or hide.

He listened to the words as they moved. All about wanting to protect someone, lead them away from danger. It was perfect, and it was clear this was how she communicated. Through music, lyrics and beats. She lived by it, danced by it, got her emotions out with it. That was why Ian, Sam, and Dean had given her the Ipod. To anyone else it was just another inconsequential electronic, but to her it would be a godsend.

The song was brief and they broke after the last strains faded. She turned the music off and he went and sat on the bench, his breath shortened in his chest. She came and sat next to him.

"I haven't danced since my wedding." He chuckled and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. She smiled and put her long legs up on the bench in front of her, between them, and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"I hope I didn't embarrass you." She said and he chuckled.

"I hope I didn't step on you." He retorted. He _was_ embarrassed, and she hid a smile.

"You're better than you think." She said, tilting her head.

"Or you just lead well." He sat back up, and took a deep breath. "What else can you do?"

She looked at him, puzzled and he pointed to the hardwood. "I've seen you swing dance. Pretty much every other kind of dance. That mirror thing you guys did was amazing, by the way. And it looks like you can do cartwheels and stuff, what's that?"

She smiled. "Gymnastics. Did them since I was three."

He snapped his fingers. "Right. Gymnastics. So what else can you do?"

She thought about it for a minute. She opened and shut her mouth again, silently. "I can sing every Ramones lyric from memory." She laughed and shook her head at him. "I don't know. What can you do?"

He grinned and thought about it. He got up and went to the cabinet in the corner and dug around. He came back out with five small sandbags they used for training and came to stand in front of her. He began to toss them in the air and soon he was deftly juggling them all, doing little tricks like tossing them high or spinning around and catching them. He caught them again and she stood up, clapping.

"That was awesome!" She laughed, still clapping. "So cool. You are so gonna have to teach me that."

"It's not hard. See, you just gotta take it one at a time." He said, coming to stand in front of her and holding out one of the bags. She took it and he grabbed one dropping the rest. "See, just start throwing it in a circle, catching it. Then get another, and do two."

He instructed her with his hands, putting them on hers to show her the movements, and she picked it up easily. She had three bags in the air when Cass came in, dressed in workout gear with a towel around her neck.

"Oh, sorry." She said and started to back up. Trouble and Rick were standing there with the of the bags in their hands, watching her as she paused and looked up. "Screw it, I need to talk to you."

Trouble dropped the bags and frowned. She crossed her arms over her chest, but nodded after a brief pause. Rick took that as he cue.

"I'll see you in a little bit, Rick. Thanks." She said as he slipped around behind Cass and out the door. Cass shut it behind him and turned back toward Trouble.

"That was a bitch move I made, Trouble." Cass began, walking toward her slowly, hands tightly on the towel at her neck. Trouble watched her and had the faint desire to strangle her with it. "Shane shoulda been off limits. I know that."

Trouble sighed and sat down on the bench, twirling one of the bags in her hands. "It's fine, Cass. It just surprised me."

"And sent you running for hills. I figured that." Cass said, taking a seat on her knees on the floor nearby. "I'm really sorry."

Trouble looked up at her friend, and smiled, shaking her head. "Why did it bother me? I can't figure it out, Cass. I broke up with him, and I'm with Ian."

Cass frowned and shook her head. "Because you cared, and it's always harder watching someone else do something like that than it is doing it yourself. I mean, I can do it but I'm a much bigger selfish bitch than you."

Trouble burst out laughing and moved to sit in front of Cass. "You know, he gave me his necklace that night. The chain, for that lucky quarter T-Dog gave me."

"He seems like a good guy." Cass said, tilting her head to the side and studying her.

"Yeah. He's got anger in him, though." Trouble said, pulling her lips to the side.

"You don't say. He almost throws up when he looks at me, and I'm just waiting for him to pull out his gun and shoot Ian." Cass said with a roll of her eyes.

"And he likes to tell me what to do." Trouble said.

"Don't all men?" Cass raised eyebrow.

"But he's hot." Trouble said with wide eyes and Cass burst out laughing.

"Mmm.." Cass said, calming down. "Even for a cop. How freakin tall is he anyway? Eight, nine feet?"

"He makes it seem that way, doesn't it?" Trouble said softly, getting up and doing a spin on the floor, dropping down to the floor, and looking up at Cass mischievously. The girl grinned and got up quickly.

"You remember the strip dance?" She asked, grabbing the remote and flicking on the music.

"Tito and Tarantula." Trouble said, nodding and shaking out her arms.

"After Dark. I really do think it's the sexiest song I've ever heard." Cass said, coming to stand in front of her and twisted her arms up in the air, waiting for Trouble to join her.

"Me too. Look at that, stripper endorsement. I think it should go on the album cover." Trouble said as she moved with Cass. They swayed their hips together, moving their arms up and down lazily in a cobra snake motion.

"So," Cass said as they swayed their hips, turning in a circular motion. "Rick."

"What about Rick?" Trouble asked dangerously, her eyes flicking up to Cass as she moved.

"He likes you." Cass said simply. "It's only the most obvious thing in the world."

"And the last thing I need with Ian and Shane to deal with. What's your point?" Trouble murmured, getting into the chorus of the song. They faced each other and again and flipped their hair over their heads, twirling their arms out.

"Maybe. Doesn't mean you don't like him back." Cass said, looking at her through heavily lidded eyes covered with her short, spiky hair.

Trouble hesitated, but then jumped back in as the guitar in the song built up. They threw their heads back together as the song ended, and Trouble came back to stand up on her feet. She stood there, looking at Cass for a minute. "What am I going to do? I really like Ian. It's just Rick is so..."

"Hot? Older? Responsible? All that grown up shit you like so much?" Cass asked, leaning down and running her hands down her outstretched leg and back up and swaying to the new song that had begun while they were talking. A rap by Chingy, always top on her list. "You always did that. I'd pick the biker and you'd pick the banker. How the fuck did you end up with Shane?"

Trouble let a short laugh burst forward. "Well, he got here first, and Rick had a wife."

Cass froze and looked at her, wide eyed. She stood up and stared at Trouble. "A wife."

"Yeah, Lori. She died a little while after they got here." Trouble nodded, going to sit on the bench.

"You killed her?" Cass asked perfectly seriously. Of course she would think that, it's what she would do.

Trouble's eyebrows shot up. "Try childbirth. And it might have been Shane's."

Cass paled. "I take back everything I said about you being a cheerleader and this a community center. That is some fucked up shit."

"Try living through it. Rick got down pretty bad after she died. Even made a move once, but I shot him down pretty hard. I was with Shane, and he was _not_ in his right mind." Trouble let it all out, how he had saved her life, given his blood, and spent the next two months in a drunken haze until he snapped out of it. Everything with Shane, Ian being so supportive. She went through everything, and Cass sat in front of her listening to every word.

"So." Trouble took a deep breath as she finished. "What do I do?"

Cass leaned back, shaking her head with eyes wide. "Fuck if I know. But I'm really glad I'm not you."

Trouble shot her a funny look. "Thank you."

"No," Cass said, waving her hand. "It just sounds like all these guys are handing you their balls and asking you to take care of them. It doesn't seem fair."

Trouble got up and wandered around the room. "Maybe. But I could be in Rick's position. Or Shane's. Not a lot to pick from and a lot of other people to deal with."

"And _that_ makes you feel better? God, I need a drink now." Cass said, getting up and going to the cabinet on the far wall. She pulled out a large bottle and poured two drinks in glasses on the counter. She brought it back to Trouble and they sat down, knees touching and facing each other, in the middle of the floor.

"What would you do?" Trouble asked quietly, and Cass almost spat her drink out.

"Oh no, you don't want that, trust me. I'd have fucked all three of them by now. Probably twice." Cass said and Trouble laughed quietly. "But I am curious how you really do feel about Rick. Well, about them all, really."

"I've already told you about Shane. I love him. I do. But he's got some issues that I don't think I help him with, and I've already got no shortage of excitement in my life. I can't deal." Trouble said, spinning her glass in her hands. "Ian is sweet, and he loves me. I know that. He finds little ways to make me happy, and he is so god damn funny." She looked up at Cass, who was smiling at her, encouraging her to go on.

"I love him too, but in a different way. We've been through so much. I mean, he's been here with me since the beginning, you know?" She asked and Cass nodded.

"It changes things." She said, picking at a spot on her spandex clad knee.

"Yeah." Trouble drifted off and Cass looked at her, biting her lip.

"And Rick?" She asked softly and Trouble let out a long breath and tipped forward, putting her head in Cass' lap.

"I don't know." She groaned, her voice muffled. Cass chuckled and rubbed her hair.

"You'll figure it out." She said comfortingly. "Come on, let's get back to work. That snow outside has us trapped, and I need to work out some... let's call it energy."

She grinned and Trouble got up as she turned the music back on.


	26. Just once

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

When no one saw Cass or Trouble in hours, and music blared from the training room, it was generally decided that either they were killing each other or making up. Neither of which anyone particularly wanted to see, so they were left alone. When they finally emerged, sweaty, Cass' eyeliner smeared a little, and disappeared into their respective rooms, Rick figured they had made up only because one wasn't dead.

He watched as Ian slipped into her room and sighed, going from the kitchen to the common room with a glass of juice for Carl. He sat down and played video games. Shane sat spinning in the chair in the control room looking out at the snow, thinking of Trouble back in her room. Of her and Cass talking. God, what the little whore must be telling Trouble about him. He felt his fury build up in his stomach, and the realization that the only person he was truly angry with, besides Ian of course, was himself only made it worse. He wanted to go outside so badly.

Trouble heard Ian calling her from under the stream of hot water. He came to the door to her bathroom and pushed the door open, leaning against the frame lazily.

"You and Cass seem to be doing fine." He said with his usual casual tone and Trouble rinsed the shampoo from her hair.

"I got no reason to be upset with her. With anybody." Trouble said lightly and Ian smiled.

"Good to hear." He said, watching the top of her head over the heavy ivory curtain. "How's your hand?"

"Eh." She said, looking down at the puffy, red palm. The gymnastics she had been doing earlier had stressed it. "I really need to be more gentle with it or it's never gonna get better."

"Wow. That's not something I've been telling you for a week or anything. What a revelation." He said dryly and she glanced at him over the curtain, eyebrow raised. She turned off the water and grabbed her towel, squeezing the water from her hair and wrapping the towel around herself tightly.

She shoved the curtain back and he looked her up and down, his lips pursing absently as he watched her. She looked at him in the mirror as she brushed her hair out. "What's up, Ian?" She asked when he didn't say anything.

His eyes flicked back up to hers. "Bored." he said and she twisted up the corner of her mouth as she went back to brushing out her hair.

"And you thought I could help you out with that?" She asked, looking at herself in the mirror. From the corner of her eye, she saw him start to unbutton the pretty black button up shirt he wore.

"I had hopes." He said in a low voice, looking up at her from downcast eyes, his dark eyebrows giving him a mysterious look. She put her brush down and walked over to him. She stood right in front of him and reached up, untying her towel and letting it fall to the floor. That sideways, cocky grin began to spread over his face and he reached forward, grabbing her waist and pulling her against him, covering her mouth with his. In one motion he had picked her up and carried her to the bed, sitting down on it with her, naked, in his lap.

Something about the intensity of what she had been through the last couple days had made her aggressive. She kissed him hard and hands immediately went to his pants zipper, yanking it down and helping him kick them off, and she began to straddle him again. He stopped her, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her down onto the bed. He got on top and kissed his way down. He was so far gone with desire he might have been a little rough, but she didn't seem to mind. He kissed her stomach, her hips, and his fingers found her center again. He pushed one up into her and she called his name huskily.

"God, yes, Ian."

He slid another finger up into her and she cried out with pleasure. He kept them there, pumping away slowly and then faster, feeling her writhe beneath him. It was turning him on so badly his dick was throbbing, but he wanted to give her the best orgasm he could possibly manage. He used his other hand to spread her apart and he licked her warm wetness. She nearly screamed when he did that, and thrust her hips up to meet his eager tongue, her hands on his head trying to push him further inside. He accommodated with quick darting motions before pushing it in fully. She tasted amazing and felt so soft and warm.

She came loudly, grabbing a pillow and shoving it over her face to muffle the sounds. Ian quickly moved back up her body. He lifted her up easily and put her face to face on his lap. One primal thrust and he was inside her. Her legs wrapped around him and she tilted forward to allow him deeper access, her eyes never leaving his. She reached down and grabbed one on the hands he had on her waist and brought it up to her mouth, pulling his finger into her mouth and sucking gently at it, and that was all it took. He burst forward into her, pumping her full, burying his face in her neck. When the flow slowed and stopped, he leaned back. She kissed him gently, caressing his face in her hands. The broke contact and rolled onto the bed, spent and pleasantly exhausted.

Ian fell asleep in her arms, and after long enough that she knew he was absolutely out, she slipped out from underneath him. She was starving, and a glance at the clock told her it was near to dinnertime. She quickly threw her shorts and shirt back on and slipped out of the room. She passed through an empty common room and into the kitchen, where everyone but her, Sam, and Ian had gathered.

T-Dog and Cass must have made up, because they sat close together at the end of the table, and she was leaning in, saying something. His smile was as broad as she'd ever seen. Shane was eating quickly, obviously just wanting to hurry up and get away. She saw a flash of the fist he had hit the wall with, colored an angry red and clearly swollen. Rick looked up at her and nodded, a smile around his eyes. He looked happy to see her and her stomach did a flip flop. Everyone else was doing their usual thing, and she realized she could not sit there with them, it would drive her mad.

She quickly grabbed two beers and half a sandwich someone had made and stuck in the fridge and left quietly for the control room. She was there a good twenty minutes before anyone came by, and she wasn't surprised to see it was Rick.

"Hey." She said, taking a drink of her beer and leaning back in the chair, and bringing her legs up underneath her.

"You seem better. So does Cass." He said, taking the stool by her and linking his hands in his lap. "I guess everything went ok."

"Sure. We've been together too long to let something like that get in between us." Trouble answered, looking up at the monitors, and when he laughed, she looked at him like he was crazy.

"You sound like me." He looked so amused that she let herself laugh a little.

"Yeah." She said softly, her laugh trailing off but a small smile staying on her face. He looked down and saw the ugly gash on her hand uncovered.

"You didn't rewrap your hand." He said, looking at it. She looked down and remembered suddenly.

"Yeah, you do a really good job. You think you could..." She said holding it up in the air and wiggling her fingers and he grinned.

"Come on." He said and she followed him to the laundry room. She sat down and watched while he got the supplies together. "Have you been taking your antibiotics?" He asked, picking her hand up and looking at it. It was a little less red, looked like the medicine was working.

"Yeah." She said, watching him while he spread some ointment on it. "I just want it to go away."

"I bet." He murmured, focused. She smiled and watched as he finished wrapping clean gauze around her hand. He tucked the ends in and surveyed his work. "Looks good."

She looked at it, wiggling her fingers as he put the supplies away. "Thanks. Lifesaver."

"I wouldn't go that far. I'm going to go check up on Carl, make sure he's helping Carol clean up." He said.

"Ok. Thanks again." She called out to him as he left and she frowned, looking down at her hand. Talking to Cass, to Rick, and spending some time with Ian combined with a little time to think had given her a new perspective about Shane. She couldn't watch him deteriorate like this. She needed to make things ok.

She quickly gathered an armful of first aid supplies and slipped back to her room. She grabbed Shane's chain and put it around her neck again, letting it fall to her chest with a comfortable weight that she loved. She left again quietly, careful not to wake the sleeping Ian, and went to knock on Shane's door. It took him a moment, but he answered the door, his face drawn and tired.

When he saw her, it really was his every intention to tell her to go away. That she had made things very clear. But he saw the chain, his chain, back around her neck and he faltered. He stepped back and she strode past him purposefully, her arms full. She dumped them out on his bed and he stood there a moment, his hand on the door and a beer at his lips.

He frowned, but closed the door and walked over to where she stood, sitting down on the bed and watching her. She grabbed some peroxide and sat down cross legged, facing him. Taking his hand in hers, she sat it down on her knee and began to clean the wounds. It stung and throbbed like hell, but he couldn't feel it. All he could feel was her skin under his fingers, see her tenderness as she carefully doctored him.

"I shouldn't have acted like that. It wasn't fair to you." She finally said, quietly, her eyes on her work.

"I could say the same." He said, his eyes on her face.

"I need to know what to do, Shane. How do we do this without hurting anybody any more than they've already been?"

"Hell if I know." He said, using his other hand to rub at his head wearily. He dropped it and looked back at her, putting out his hand and touching the necklace around her neck. "You really like it?"

"I love it." She said, glancing up and giving him a small smile. She looked back down at his hand and dabbed some ointment on the broken skin. He looked down and watched her, his heart doing a stampede in his chest. "Are you angry with me?"

"Not really." He said, meaning it. Ian he was furious at, but her... With her, it was just a gaping, ugly black hole where he heart used to be. "You?"

"No." She said. She frowned and looked up at him. "I was jealous. It was petty and unfair, and it sucks, but it's the truth."

His eyes widened a little, and he clasped the hand that she was working on tightly, holding her fingers. "You still love me."

"I told you I do." She answered. "It doesn't change that things have gone so far off the fuck-o-meter that it will never be the same."

"It doesn't have to be the same." He said so sadly that she sighed and looked back down at his hand, and ran her thumb over his palm.

"Shane," She began, but he put his hand up to the side of her head, stopping her.

"If you kiss me, right now, and you don't feel anything anymore, I'll walk away. I won't bother you about this again. But if you feel something, you gotta let me keep trying." He said, scooting closer and getting near her face. He had let it all ride, put it right up there on the line, and she could see it in his eyes.

She sat there for a minute, taking several deep breaths in and looking at the floor. She turned back to him and reached back out for his hand. Quickly, she wrapped clean gauze around his knuckles, and picked up a bottle she had brought. She put a few pills on the bed and got up quickly, gathering her things. She went for the door, but paused as she reached it, turned back.

"I won't hurt Ian, and I am trying so hard to not hurt you any more, but you really aren't helping." She said quietly and left the room.

Trouble was shaken, and put the bandages and things away with trembling hands. It had been a bad idea to go to Shane, but she couldn't help it. There was something about the man that drew her like a moth a flame, he was so passionate and headstrong. Normally, not what she would have gone for, like Cass said. Maybe she was changing more than she realized.

She finished and went to the control room, needing to find a focus. Something to take her mind off him. It had brought back all those emotions she had felt, looking up at Shane standing over her in bed. Feeling his rough yet gentle hands over her skin, his beautiful, wonderful mouth and the magic it did. Ian was great, but Shane... Well, Shane was a lover. There was no denying that. She wanted to go back to his room, let him take her and do whatever he wanted with her. She sat down hard, grabbed a pencil and began to roll it between her fingers. She was gritting her teeth and didn't realize it until the pencil snapped in half in her hand.

"Whoa, easy there." The voice came and her head snapped up so quickly her neck popped. Ian stood at the door, watching her with a light amused expression on his face. She felt her mouth go dry, and she looked back down again quickly.

"How did you sleep?" She asked, turning her attention to the screens, not knowing what else to look at. He tilted his head to the side, watching her closely.

"Like a rock."

"You missed dinner. I don't think they saved you anything." She said, apologetically.

"No problem. I'll find something. You ok?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah. Kinda wired." She said. "Too much caffiene."

"You drink two pots of coffee? You look ready to hang from the ceiling." He said, his eyebrows knitted together.

"Something like that." She said, pressing her lips together.

"Right." He said, not convinced. "I'm gonna grab a bite. You want?"

"Nah. I'm good. But thanks." She said, throwing a smile his way. He looked at her strangely, but nodded and stepped away. She sat there, staring at the door before groaning and putting her head in her hands. God...

She got up and wandered out to the common room. T-Dog, Dean, Cass and Sam were sitting on the couches, and Rick had taken up on the loveseat by them. Dean saw her as she wandered in, and he grinned.

"Come watch a movie, Trouble." He said, holding out a beer to her. It was something, and she was desperate. She plastered a grin on her face and stepped forward, accepting it.

"What are we watching?" She asked, noticing Rick moved to the side, giving her a place next to him. She sat down, trying not to notice his arm across the back of the sofa.

"Toss up. Reservoir Dogs or Trainspotting." Dean answered and Trouble glanced at Rick.

"Reservoir Dogs." They spoke in unison and she laughed loudly, looking at him with an impressed gaze.

"It's Tarentino's best work." He said and she grinned, nodding.

"Pulp Fiction was amazing too."

"You know, that had the longest single shot filmed in a movie for a long time." He said, and her eyes widened. She grinned and sat back.

"I think we found something else you can do." She said quietly as the movie cued up.

"What's that?" He asked, leaning toward her a little.

"Impress the hell out of me." She answered and he sat back, grinning, but he hid it behind that hand that he always put over his mouth. He settled in, the glow of her compliment carrying him farther than he thought possible.

Ian joined them soon and sat on the floor beside her, sharing a big bowl of popcorn the Sam had made. The small group got into the movie, and when the scene came where the cop gets his ear cut off, Sam Dean even got up and danced along with Madsen for "Stuck In The Middle With You", much to everyone's delight. When it was over, Trouble glanced at the clock. 2:00 in the morning.

Dean stood up and stretched, excusing himself for sleep, and the others trailed off after him. Trouble stood up to get another beer. She should be tired, but she truly did feel wired now. Shane had, thank god, stayed in his room, so she had had a couple hours to veg out and not think of him, but now that the lights were back up, he was back front and center in her brain. She sighed and cracked her beer, leaning against the fridge, looking up as Ian walked in.

"Hey. You comin' to bed?" He asked, grabbing a beer for himself when she moved out of the way.

"Not yet. But I'll try to slip in on you later." She said, looking up at him.

"Ok. 'Night." He said, smiling and leaning down. He pecked her on the lips and she watched him stroll out of the kitchen. She blew her cheeks out in a long breath and went to the control room, going straight for the shelves on the wall to her left. There was a large ventilation unit that went out to the surface that Sam had brought in months earlier that had ever been fixed and she lifted it, being careful of her hand, and brought it to the middle of the room. Getting up, she downed the last of her beer and turned 30 Second To Mars on loop on her speaker, grabbed a couple small tools, screwdriver, tiny hand welder, and some other things, and began taking the unit apart. She didn't hear Rick when he came to the door, and he stopped and watched her for a few minutes.

To say that she zoned out was an understatement, Rick thought, smiling when he saw her on the floor. Her blue shift was off one shoulder, her hair twisted up and stuck with a pencil. She was biting her lip furiously as she sparked the metal of the piece of equipment in front of her with a tiny hand welder. He listened to the music she had turned on, a heavy rock beat that swung out with harmonic melody. He liked it, but he couldn't have told anyone what it was. He didn't want to scare her, so he walked over to her speakers and turned it down so they could speak. She looked up at him as he came and took a place on his knees across from her, looking down at the disassembled piece of metal spread before her.

"Is there anything you can't fix?" He asked lightly.

"I have a hell of a time with people." She murmured, and grabbed her screwdriver.

"I think that's more a comment of the people than it is about you." He answered and leaned forward. "Is there a reason you're doing this tonight?"

"Because I've learned it pays to stay busy." She said dryly. "Idle hands, Rick."

"I get that." He said, and he did. Idle hands had kept him in business as a cop. He set about quietly helping her to reassemble the unit, knowing she would be grateful for the company, and the respite from conversation. When it was whole again, she leaned back and put her hands on her bare knees.

"It's gotta go back in now, but it's kind of a job of work. You tired?" She asked, and he shook his head. "Cool. Get dressed. It's gonna be cold." She flashed her teeth and he grinned. She got up and he followed her to the bedrooms. He ducked into his and grabbed a heavier shirt, pulling it over the button up he wore. He went to her door just in time to see her buttoning up her jeans and tugging on a thick jacket and thin gloves.

They retrieved a walkie, which she clipped on her belt, and he picked up the unit, carrying it much easier than she did. They made their way up the elevator, and into the lobby. She went to a wall to their left, right out of the elevator. She got down on her knees and used a long metal key to unlock a tiny lock in a hole by the ground and then looked at him apologetically.

"I need you to lift me." She said and he quickly put the unit down and brushed his hands off. She pointed to a matching hole in the top of the wall and he bit his cheek thoughtfully, finally deciding to just bend down and put his arms around her legs. She put a hand on his shoulder to steady herself as he lifted her up, her hips against his head. He looked up and watched her stick the key in the small hole and turn. She patted his shoulder and he lowered her back to the ground.

"Hope I'm not too heavy. You're gonna have to do that again." She said, squaring off and pushing in on the wall, and he was surprised to see it swing back toward her when she let go. She grinned at him and put her hand in the space it created and pulled. The whole wall swung away and he saw a large metal grate on the other side with two concrete tunnels on top of each other behind it. She grabbed the metal and pulled herself up, crawling into the top tunnel as a cold blast of air came out and hit them in the face.

"Do I come too?" He asked as her head reappeared and she held out her hands for the unit he had sat on the ground. He lifted it up to her, helping her to work it into the tunnel. It fit, but there was hardly any room for her.

"Yeah, I'm going to need you to hold it when I am getting it into place. But it's tight. Are you claustrophobic?" She asked, her head coming back out to look down at him.

"No." he shook his head.

"Good." She grinned devilishly. "When this is over, we're going to be _very_ good friends."

He couldn't get into the tunnel fast enough.

She grabbed the unit with one hand as she crawled along, and he had the other side. They crawled for a while before she spoke. "There's a gap. Watch it." She said and he saw a break in the tunnel below them. "It goes to the lower floors, venting out the bedrooms." She explained and he grunted in response. "Betcha wish you had just gone to sleep now, huh? See what happens when you find me at 3 am?"

"I've done worse." He said, his voice strained with crawling and holding the heavy unit.

"Oh yeah?" She asked absently.

"Prisoner broke out of a transport van once, long time ago. Ran off toward the sanitation plant outside of town. Shane and I spent four hours searching sewer tunnels in the dark." He said, wiping sweat off his forehead as he paused.

"Almost there." She said. "Did you find him?"

"Yeah. In a honky tonk a mile away dancing with a hooker." He said and she laughed hard. He grinned, loving the sound.

"Ok, we're here." She said, but she didn't have to tell him. The air around them had gone frigid, and though he was sweating his nose started to tingle and go numb. They had reached the end of the tunnel, and it opened out against a metal grate through which he could see the furnace in back of the house. The top of it, at least. She grabbed the unit and pulled it past her, the sound of metal against concrete making both their skins crawl. "Move up here next to me, help me get it into place." She said.

He crawled forward and had to put an arm over her to position himself in the small circular space next to her, his long legs often getting in the way. He kneed her in the back once and she chuckled. Their legs were almost intertwined, but he had good upper body strength and they soon had the part against the opening. She put her hands against it to hold it for him.

"Now, here's the hard part. I've got to screw it in, and I can't reach with you there. You're going to have to lay down, hold this upside down."

"Lay down?" He asked, pausing.

"Yeah. On your back and hold it, over your head, you know?" She said, and he let out a deep breath, feeling her leg lift up and stretch out behind her like she was in a yoga position, giving him enough room to move into place. He scooted down and onto his back in the tunnel and she straddled him on his waist. He couldn't breath suddenly, feeling her powerful thighs on each side of him and seeing her bent over him, arms out. The jacket she wore rode up as she stretched and her bare stomach lay against his chest. He licked his lips and put his arms over his head, twisting his head around so he could see what he was doing. He placed his hands against the metal and pushed, holding it into place for her and she let go, leaning back and putting her weight on him as she dug in her jacket for the long screwdriver she had stuck in there. She found it and began to screw the grate into place on the upper right side. He looked up again and through the unit he could see stars glittering in the sky, and he concentrated on his breath, rising and falling in his chest against her weight. Her legs tightened around him as she moved and he pressed his lips together, trying to remember to blink.

She did the top left corner too, quickly, much quicker than he would have liked though he could not feel his nose at all now, or his fingers.

"You can let go now. I got it." She said quietly and he brought his arms down around her legs. He didn't have any other place to put them, and when he laid his hands against her thighs around his waist, she didn't object.

He tried to focus. "Did you do this alone before?" He asked.

"Me and Sam. But he whines constantly." She said, grinning. "You'd think I was killing him in here." She said, leaning down to do the bottom left corner. She couldn't reach it with her jacket in the way and sat back with a sigh. She laid the screwdriver on his chest and shimmied out of her jacket quickly, and his breath caught in his throat again. If she had her way, he'd be crying with sexual frustration before this was over.

She grabbed the screwdriver again and leaned down, almost face to face with him if she wasn't looking up. She worked the tool while he watched her, the moonlight shining in bathing her in a blue light that made her look like an angel. The work had knocked her hair loose and some of it danced across his face, tickling his cheeks.

"Sorry." She said, brushing it back and continuing to fight the grate.

"It's fine." He said, his fingers flexing on her thighs.

"It didn't fight me like this last time." She said, moving to the last corner. She was almost done. She grunted, lifting up a little and shifting forward on him, rubbing up him and he almost groaned. She finished and put her arm on the side of his head and looking down at him. He was staring up at her and she paused, looking at him in his eyes, her green ones suddenly surprised and conflicted. He was sure his looked similar.

"Sorry." She whispered, their lips inches apart.

"For what?" His breath caught in his throat as he spoke.

"I'm done." She said, reaching for her coat, but when his hands tightened on their own on her thighs, she paused. "Rick."

He interrupted her before he could think. "Once." Was all he said, and she blinked at him, understanding what he was asking. He lifted his head slightly, and his lips were on hers. They both paused, feeling the sensation of the others warm mouth. Her brain short circuited then, and she opened her mouth slightly. He relaxed and his tongue danced forward to touch hers, touching and dancing with hers as they tested each other. He ran his hands up her thighs to her waist, where he massaged the skin there before wrapping her completely in his embrace and his hands went up her back under her shirt. She dropped the screwdriver and her hands went to his cheeks, feeling the stubble there and up through his hair.

They parted and she looked down at him, her breath coming hard and fast, and feeling his do the same. She laid her hand on his chest and felt his heart, finding it beating with the same frenzied beat that hers had been doing since she looked down and saw him looking up at her so intensely.

"Rick, I can't go there. There's.. too much..." She tried to say, but he reached up and brushed her hair away from her face and smiled.

"I know. I'm not asking you for anything but tonight." He said, all his reservations and carefulness out the window with the first touch of her lips. He searched her face with his eyes deeply. "I'm a big boy. It's not going to affect what we have."

"Maybe not for you." She said, pulling back and he grabbed her arms, pulling her forward again.

"You know how I feel about you. I felt that way before, and I'll still feel it tomorrow, even if you walk away right now. Or... crawl away as the case may be." He grinned and she sighed, smiling despite herself. She looked away, then back into his eyes, seeing the unimaginable loneliness there. She had an opportunity to take it away, but she wondered what the repercussions would be in a single fleeting, terrifying thought.

"I'm sorry, Rick." She said and he held her face in his hands, smiling.

"It's ok." He whispered. "It's ok." He kissed her forehead tenderly and moved out from underneath her carefully. He moved down the tunnel and over the gap, and she took a deep breath as she followed.

They got to the lobby and he scrambled down, holding up his arms for her as she reached him and tossed her jacket out and onto the floor. She put her arms out and he lifted her from the tunnel and she slid down his hard chest to the floor, their eyes meeting again. She swallowed, turning and pushing the wall back into place. She locked the bottom and he wordlessly lifted her so she could get the top. They got into the elevator and stood side by side awkwardly on her part. She kept stealing glances at him, her lips pressed together and still tingling from his kiss.


	27. You did this to me

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Christmas was next week, and Carol, Rick and Carl were decorating a tree Sam had pulled out of storage with decorations he had sat around the common room. Cass had decided to start the holiday festivities early and she, T-Dog, Ian, Sam, and Dean were in her room, peals of laughter and music coming out occasionally to drift down the hall. Trouble wasn't sad by any stretch of the imagination, but she didn't feel like participating either and disappeared into the control room to try and fix Dean's Beretta that had been sticking when it fired. She had it taken apart on the desk in front of her when Shane appeared and grabbed the stool to watch. She didn't feel like talking, her brain firmly fixed on Rick.

She had re-wrapped her hand on her own, not wanting to seek Rick out for something so small after the huge thing they had just shared. Shane found her soon enough though, and grabbed the stool next to her. She looked up and saw his shaven head had grown out longer than she realized, she'd been so busy lately to notice. She grinned and looked back down at the weapon.

"What?" He asked warily.

"You look different with hair. It's getting long." She said and he ran a hand over it.

"Yeah, it's been a while." He said, chuckling. "I tried to clean it up a little. Think I screwed it up."

He turned around and she saw that he had done horrible job in the back. She grinned and put the gun back together quickly, raising it toward the back wall and firing. It clicked smoothly and she hung it back on the wall and raised an eyebrow at him. "Come on. I'll fix it."

He smiled as he followed her to the laundry room and she grabbed a pair of scissors and some clippers from the closet. He stripped his shirt off and put it on the washer, taking a place on a stool from the corner in front of her. She turned the clippers on and began trimming up his edges around his face, careful to leave the sideburns she knew he favored.

"So, how much is this gonna run me?" He asked lightly, his brown eyes turned toward her as she worked.

"I accept many forms of payment. Chocolate, alcohol. I'm flexible." She said, a smile around her lips.

"That can be arranged. You seem happier." He asked, glad to see her being more easy with him.

"It's Christmas. If you can't be happy now, you're pretty much broken." She answered, moving around to his back. She quickly evened his hair along his neck line and turned off the clippers, coming back around to his front. "What do you think?" She asked, picking up a mirror and handing it to him. He took a look and nodded appreciatively.

"Damn. I almost look like I used to." He said, running his hands through his hair.

"I liked the shaved head, but I think this might be better. I'm glad you're letting it go." She said, leaning against the washer and watching him. He stood and started to brush the hair from his chest, running his hand over the eagle tattoo on his heart. "You need to shower or you're gonna itch like hell."

"Yeah. Thanks, Trouble." He said, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek.

"No problem." She watched him leave quickly. She grabbed a broom and began to sweep up the loose hair he had shed into a pile on the floor, and she was dumping it in the trash when she felt someone behind her. She looked up and saw Rick had come to the door way, a patient smile on his face.

"I saw Shane. Said you gave him a haircut." He said, leaning against the door, his head tilted at her.

She grinned, seeing the hopeful look in his face. "Have a seat." She said and he smiled widely, unbuttoning his shirt and moving toward the stool. He stripped it off and sat down, facing her, his wide blue eyes watching as she picked up the scissors and began to clip away at the top of his head.

"Carl seems to be excited for Christmas. Any idea what you're going to give him?" She asked, focusing on her task.

"No. I've been thinking about it. My watch maybe, he's always liked it." He said, frowning.

"I think I have a better idea. If you think he's ready." She said and his eyebrows went up. "Come find me later, when you're finished decorating."

"Thanks." He said, smiling up at her. She was always surprising him. "You did your own hand. It must be better."

She twisted the corner of her mouth up and glanced down into his eyes. "You're a good doctor."

He pressed his lips together and shifted slightly in his seat, his back going a little straighter. "I wouldn't give away Hershel just yet." He said, and his eyes spoke volumes. She picked up the clippers and swept them across his neckline.

"You're all set." She said, standing back and he ran his hand over the back of his head just as Ian, Sam and Dean peeked around the corner. She laughed when she saw their faces, and Rick got up to go shower, as Dean flew into the stool, his drunken face goofy and happy.

"Man, you guys don't waste time, do you?" She said with amusement as she started to buzz his head.

"Haven't you been paying attention? There's no time left to waste." Cass said from the door, taking a swig from a half empty bottle of the scotch she had brought. They looked up at her, and Trouble frowned a little as she went back to Dean's head.

"You ok, Cass?" She asked, noticing the caged look in the girl's eyes. She'd seen it before, when Cass had left. Her heart did a leap in her chest.

"Fuckin snow, I need to get out." Cass said, coming across the room and hopping up on the dryer. Trouble shot a look at Sam and Ian, who were standing side by side against the cabinet, watching. Sam coughed lightly into his hand. He was drunk, but not enough to not see what was going on.

"It's not so bad, Cass." He said, trying to be cheerful.

"Yeah, got everything we need." Ian said, lowering his head and looking up at Cass with narrowed, thoughtful eyes.

"Except fresh air. Room to fuckin stretch! I'm going crazy." Cass said, falling back with a thud against the wall behind her and taking another long drink.

"Slow down a little there, Cass." Sam protested and she looked at him like he was crazy over the top of the bottle.

"Slow down? Hell, I should be speeding up. And so should you." She scoffed grumpily.

Even Dean looked up at that one. Trouble finished Dean's neckline and leaned in to his ear. "Take care of it, Dean. I didn't get you guys started today, I'm not finishing it."

He nodded, and Sam skipped his haircut to help him get Cass out of the room. Ian let out a deep breath and rubbing the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb tiredly. "We should have stuck with beer."

"You think?" Trouble asked irritatedly, brushing off the stool.

"And not smoked that joint." He said sheepishly and she glared at him.

"I swear, you people are out to get me." She said flatly. "You realize there is a little boy out there who will be deeply traumatized if she loses it, right? He needs stability. God help me, so do I. It's not like it was before anymore, Ian. We can't just live for ourselves and do whatever the fuck we want. Sit the hell down." She snapped at him and grabbed the scissors.

"Are you gonna stab me?" He asked, his eyes wide.

"Do you want a haircut or not?" She asked wearily, tilting her eyes at him, a sad frown on her face.

He stripped his shirt away from his pale, muscular chest and sat down quietly. "I'm sorry about Cass." He said as she started to clip the excess from his shaggy hair.

"It's not all your fault. Today is, but I've been encouraging her, too. It was just so good to have her back." Trouble felt tears well up in her eyes but quelled them before she thought Ian noticed. She was wrong. He looked at her sadly, biting the inside of his cheek.

"We'll take care of it." Ian said, his voice strong and his buzz gone. He hadn't had as much as the others by a long shot, and he found it easier to focus.

"Thank you." She said, and finished cutting his hair quietly. He didn't push, letting her have the silence, and when she was done, she actually smiled at him, laying her hand on his shoulder. "You're done."

He grinned at her. "My angel."

She lifted an eyebrow at him but didn't stop him when he kissed her lightly on the lips. "Go, help Dean and Sam. I'm sure they've got their hands full."

He nodded and left and she cleaned up the room slowly, putting the tools away and brushed the stray hair from her black shorts. She started to go toward the bedrooms to see what Cass what doing to the guys, but she paused at the control room. She didn't know why she felt so anxious, but there was something unhinged in Cass' eyes that startled her. She went into the control room and went straight for the back wall. She had gotten lazy about carrying her sidearm and she grabbed it, checking the safety and sticking it in the back waistband of her tight shorts. She felt comforted somehow by its weight, and when she went for the bedrooms she found Dean and Sam coming from Cass' room.

"She's tired. We got her to lay down for a while." Dean said, running a hand over his newly cut hair.

"Good. She'll calm down." Trouble said, sighing with relief.

"I'm gonna shower." Dean said shortly and disappeared into his room. Sam flicked his eyebrows at Trouble and passed her, going to the kitchen for some much needed coffee. Trouble could hear Carl's excited chatter from the common room and decided that would be a good way to distract herself. He was delighted when she came in a grabbed a handful of decorations and started hanging them on the tree. Rick came back from his shower and jumped right in when he saw her, and soon they were laughing and joking, the three of them while Carol started dinner.

Trouble lost track of time, it was so nice playing with Carl and Rick, helping to make the room festive and cheerful. When Rick lifted the boy to put the angel on top of the tree, he looked at her so lovingly she almost cried. Watching them together made everything, all the pain worthwhile. Carol came to the door and announced dinner, and Dean and Sam and Ian filed past her, tired but sober. All three of them. Trouble looked back as everyone disappeared into the kitchen, towards Cass' door. She moved to it and knocked gently, opening it quietly. It was dim, the only light came from a bedside table, and she could make out Cass's sleeping form on the bed, on top of the covers. Her jeans rode low on her hips and her back was exposed to Trouble by the tank top she wore having ridden up a little.

"Hey Cass? It's dinner. How do you feel?" Trouble said quietly, coming around to the other side of the bed. She was kneeling forward to lay next to the girl when she saw the needle on the bed, a foot away from Cass. She picked it up and looked at it strangely, her eyes darting to the girl's face. She was sleeping, peaceful, and Trouble felt her blood go ice cold.

"Cass. Cass. Cass, wake up." She threw the needle and jumped onto the bed, grabbing Cass and shaking her roughly. The girl didn't respond, and it took Trouble a moment to realize she was cold. "No. No, Cass." The tears started to pour over her cheeks as she pushed and slapped at her best friend.

"Don't do this to me. Cass, for God's sake, please don't do this to me." She moaned as she slowed down, her strength as gone as she saw her friend was. She tried to breath, tried to make the air go into her lungs, and almost had it when Cass' eyes flickered and all of it came rushing back out of her body. She stood, backing up slowly as Cass' eyes opened and looked at her, their beautiful gray color now milky white and unfocused. Trouble felt the wall behind her as Cass sat up and she let out a low growl in Trouble's direction.

"Damn you, Cass." She whispered and reached around for her Glock. She aimed it at the girl, now no longer her friend. Just the thing she had hated so much. "I'm sorry." She said and fired and Cass dropped onto the mattress with a light thud, a pool of blood splattered on the wall behind her. Trouble ran from the room and slammed the door behind her, leaning back against it and feeling every bone in her body turn to jelly as she slid to the floor.

The kitchen was bustling with chatter and activity when the gunshot rang out, instantly it fell silent. A shocked, gasping silence, and Rick saw Shane moving faster than he ever had. "Keep Carl here." He said to Carol and followed, falling somewhere in between Ian and Dean as they ran down the hall as fast as they could. They saw Trouble in the hallway and he and Shane both let out a relieved breath, but when they saw they she was sitting against Cass' door, gun in her hand, her eyes wide and staring in front of her, he and Shane slid to a stop, kneeling in front of her. Sam, T-Dog, Ian, and Dean froze a few feet away, looking from Trouble, to her gun, then up at Cass' door.

T-Dog jumped over her, throwing Cass' door open and rushing inside. Trouble looked at Shane, then at Rick, and stood, not hearing Shane's stream of questions. She held the gun out to Shane, who tucked it in his waistband before returning his hands to her shoulders where he had put them the moment he had found her. She stepped toward Rick and looked up at him as a glass shattered in Cass' room and Dean's loud shouts could be heard, a vulgar display of angry cussing.

"She shot herself up with something. She was gone when I found her." She said to Shane, her voice low and eerily calm. She looked at Rick, then back up at Shane. "She turned. I guess you were right." She said and walked away. Rick looked at Shane, his eyes wide and afraid.

"Check on them. I'll go after her." He said, and Shane faltered. "No, just go." The man nodded and went into Cass' room after the guys. He heard Shane begin to contain Dean, who was still cursing loudly, as he went back to the kitchen where Carl was huddled next to Carol in the dining area.

"It's ok. It's ok, everything is fine." He said, leaning down and the little boy threw himself into his father's arms.

"Is Trouble ok?" He asked, his face buried in Rick's neck.

"Yes, she's fine. Everything is fine." He said and looked up at Carol. "Keep him in here until Shane or I come to get you. Do not leave. Carl, I have to go for a minute. I'll come find you in a little bit, ok?" He detached himself from the child's grasp and smiled reassuringly before leaving the kitchen quickly and searching for Trouble. She wasn't in the control room, but he could see her shape in the lobby, standing in the door before the gate, and it was open to the outside. He let out a low breath and ran to the elevator.

She was still standing there, staring out through the bars into the snow when he emerged from the elevator. The wind was whipping around her, snow falling in around her bare feet and legs, but she didn't register that she felt cold at all. He rushed forward and slammed the door, turning and scooping her up into his arms. He held her tightly, one arm around her waist holding her to him, the other on the back of her head and he closed his eyes, his heart breaking for her.

"It wasn't me." She said quietly, and he leaned back, searching her eyes, dead eyes void of emotion. She looked back at him calmly, and he put a hand on her cheek, his brow furrowed with concern. "I didn't want to do it but she came for me. She came right at me, Rick."

"I know, sweetheart. It wasn't your fault." He said, hugging her again tightly.

"I know." She said simply and she looked up at him, her face clear and focused. "She made her choice." He faltered a little at that, the brute simple straightforwardness of her reasoning. "We have to get her up here. I don't want Carl to see anything." She stepped back, out of his arms, and turned for the elevator.

"Trouble, stop. Just wait a minute." Rick put his hand on her arm and she turned, looking at it, then back up.

"There's nothing to wait for, Rick. You were right, you and Shane and Hershel. We'll all turn, whether we like it or not. And others will die and I will have to do this again. I'm either going to have to kill everyone I love eventually, or they'll have to kill me."

"Don't say it like that." He said, his voice deep and pleading. "It's not like that."

"What's it like, then?" She asked, looking at him with confused eyes.

"Cass was in pain. She was stressed and confused and hurting, and she didn't know how to deal with it. She didn't have the people around her that you do. The love that you have." He said, coming around to stand in front of her and putting his hands on her cheeks.

"I loved her." She said softly. "And it wasn't enough. It's not enough."

"It's enough." He said, his voice breaking as he pulled her into a hug, tightening his arms around her and burying his face in her hair. "It's enough, believe me."

Carol and Maggie helped clean Cass' room like they had the kitchen when Anna had died, and when they were done, Trouble left Cass' bags and belongings and shut the door. It was understood she would not tolerate anyone in there, and the room was left alone. After Cass was wrapped tightly in a sheet and put in a walk in freezer that Shane and Rick quickly emptied of its contents, the house fell into an uncomfortable sort of routine. T-Dog was quiet and stayed to himself for a while. Ian read and drank and slept, occasionally going to Trouble to check on her and try and comfort her, but when he saw that she had shut down he allowed himself to drift away a little to grieve. Dean and Sam drank themselves into a stupor for a week. Cass had been such an integral part of their lives it was going to take some time to adjust, and they didn't know how to deal with Trouble's lack of emotion. The one thing they all kept in common was that they all had a sidearm strapped to them at all times, and their fingers constantly drifted toward them. It was true for all of them, and even when Trouble would wear something she couldn't stick a weapon in, she had a holster strapped to her thigh. Shane spent time with her when he thought she needed it, but most of the time she was down in the training room, music on and dancing, and they left her alone.

Rick watched Trouble. That was what he did. He watched her. At the dining table, in the common room, at the control room desk watching the screens, he was always in the background somewhere. Her quiet stoic way that had begun at the door they had found her slumped against had not wavered, and she was a unbreakable stone, impervious to any of them.

Christmas hadn't been forgotten, but it had been taken down a pretty big notch as far as the forefront of everyone's mind, so when Rick looked up from tying up the small paper wrapping he had made for Carl and saw Trouble standing in his door he was surprised. He had watched her go back to her room after the turkey that Carol had made for dinner was picked over, and assumed she would go to sleep. It was midnight now and everyone else had retired, he thought he was the only one up.

"Hey. That's Carl's present?" She asked. She was wearing a red v neck sweater with white shorts that made her long legs look even longer.

He sat back on the bed and put his hands on his knees. "Yeah."

"Your watch?" She asked, tilting her head and looking closely at him.

"I thought he would like it." He answered, and she nodded quickly.

"He will. But I wanted to give you the option to keep it." She said and he looked at her curiously. "You're his father, so it's up to you, but what do you think about this?" She said, and reached outside the door and bringing into view a small rifle. An air rifle, he realized with a smile. Carl had been wanting one of those for years. He stood up and walked toward her as she stepped into the room and she handed him the gun. He lifted it and checked the sight, popped it open to look at the workings.

"I adjusted it. It wouldn't kill a sparrow now but it makes a hell of a noise and he'll be able to practice his aim." She said, crossing her arms over her chest and watching him.

"He is gonna love it." Rick said slowly, a grin on his face. "You might be his new favorite person." He looked up at her, his face bright.

"Oh no, that's all you, my friend. I can't imagine what it's like to try and make Christmas for a kid now, so you get to be the hero." She said, her hands out in front of her.

"Well," He said, suddenly quite sad for her. "Thank you, Trouble."

"I have some paper in my room if you want to wrap it. I managed to find a bow, too. If you want." She said, her toes pointed and flicking over the carpet lightly.

"I want." He grinned and she let a rare smile show on her face. She turned and he followed her back to her room, air rifle in hand. She went to her corner and grabbed a roll of brown paper and some tape and they wrapped the present together there in the middle of her floor. When he secured the last piece of tape she reached back to a chair behind her and grabbed a large red bow, taping it to the front of the bundle and grinning up at him. He took it and leaned it up next to her door as she moved to her bed and sat down. She must have thought he was leaving because she laid back and turned the music on, a slow song that sounded so sad his heart almost broke for her. He shut the door, walked back to her, her eyes meeting him, curious and heavy.

"Merry Christmas, Trouble." He said softly and held out his hand. She took it and he pulled her up and into the middle of the floor and wrapped his arms around her wings, swaying to the beat. She didn't hesitate. Her head fell to his shoulder, her arms around his neck, allowing him to hold her close. He buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes, spreading his fingers to hold her even tighter. They danced like that for ages, quite and comfortable together, comforting each other.

He pulled back eventually and tilted her chin up toward him, his face kind and patient. She looked up at him and felt the first racking breath go through her body. She hadn't let anything out, holding it all in so tightly that there was no room for anything else. Standing there, looking at Rick, she was suddenly overwhelmed with the words he had spoken to her before. You are not alone.

He saw the break in her eyes and as her first tears began to fall he swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, sitting down next to her and letting her cry into his neck, his arms wrapped so tightly around that the sound of her crying was muffled against his chest.

He stayed with her, even after she was through crying. They laid back on her bed and he held her for a while in silence, then they talked softly and listened to the music she still had playing until sunrise. They didn't even kiss, but it felt as intimate as their lovemaking had been. She had let go with him, showed him a side she hadn't even been able to do with Sam or Dean.

He looked over at 5:00 am and sighed, looking back down at her against his shoulder, her hair tickling his neck. "Carl's gonna be up soon." He said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Ok. Come get me when he comes up for presents, ok?" She said, smiling gently at him.

He reluctantly got up, his hand running along her shoulders as he got up. "I will." He said, leaning down and brushing his lips over her forehead and taking her hand in his, squeezing it gently. He smiled as he pulled back, stepping quickly through the door and shutting it after him. She stretched and got up, grabbing a bra and underwear and going to the shower. She stood under the hot running water for a while, feeling the stress and anxiety that was nonstop over the last week flow out of her and down the drain.

Turning off the water, she decided to do something a little different and pulled her hairdryer out from under the sink and plugged it in. She tossed her head over and while she dried her hair she allowed herself the freedom to think. Something she had stifled pretty intensely since Cass had died.

She and Ian, Sam, and Dean had drifted so far apart so quickly it startled her. Cass had the power to bring them so close, and now, in death, it looked like she had the power to shove them apart just as easily. Dean was the worst. Cass had represented something for him, a freedom or a survival instinct that could not die, and then she goes and kills herself. He had made a comment like that a couple days later, Trouble remembered. 'If someone was gonna take her out, it was gonna be her.' Something like that, and Trouble had to agree with him.

Sam was sad, obviously, but he'd been a lot quieter about it. He just stuck to his bottle and watched his brother be angry. Trouble hadn't been able to talk about it, hadn't been able to check on him, but standing there, looking in the mirror, she knew she had to remedy that. Sam was feeling so guilty, and she knew it was because he and Dean had left her alone that day. He didn't deserve to carry that kind of guilt.

And Ian... Ian had a special way about him. She knew he was worried about her, wanted to comfort her, but this death had affected him greatly. It was the closest thing to having her die, and she thought it had absolutely terrified him. He would deal with it in one of two ways- he'd scramble back and she wouldn't see him, or he'd latch himself onto her and not let go. She had a suspicion that because she had shot Cass, he would pick the first one, not knowing what else to do.

Shane had tried, and she smiled at his big lug-like smile, his little jokes, his attempts to make her laugh. She had been so focused, so wrapped up in her bigger than life emotions that she hadn't been able to give it to him. Rick's visit last night had broken down a wall in her heart, allowing her to take a different perspective with the new day. She still was sad, still angry, but she didn't feel cold anymore.

She dressed in a pair of tight red pants and a ivory halter tank top, her now wavy, almost curly hair falling over her shoulders in tendrils, full and beautiful. She left her room quietly and went to Sam's door, raising her hand to knock when the door opened unexpectedly and she jumped back a little. Sam stood there, bare chested, looking at her with a clearly startled expression on his face. Trouble looked past him and saw Andrea grabbing a sweater and pulling it over her tee shirt, hair messy and clothes wrinkled.

"I'm sorry, Sam." Trouble said, backing up quickly to let Andrea pass her and quickly disappear to the elevator to downstairs. She glanced at Sam as she passed, and he nodded at her before turning back to Trouble. He sighed and stood back, holding his door open for her and she passed him as she went in. The bed was all over the place, pretty wild it had to have gotten to have caused such a mess, so Trouble just turned around and looked at him, arms crossed and trying not to blush.

"How are ya?" He asked, going back to sit on the messy bed and take a long swig of a bottle of whiskey on his bedside table.

"Sober." She said, watching him.

"That sucks." He said, holding the bottle out to her. She shook her head and shifted on her feet.

"How did things go so wrong, Sam?" All the positivity she had earlier felt like it had been drained from her body as she watched her cousin slumped over and stretched to the breaking point.

"I guess it was going to all the time. Cass saw it." He said, leaning back on his pillows and putting his knees up, the bottle clutched in his hand.

"I don't blame you guys for staying away from me, believe me I don't. If you had done differently and I probably would have rejected it. But I need you now." She said, pressing her lips together.

"I don't have anything you need, Trouble." Sam rubbed his face with his free hand, his eyes tired and sad. "Not anymore."

At those words she took a step forward quickly and grabbed the bottle from his hand. He started to protest but she raised the bottle to her lips and took a big drink before slamming it down on the table. "Is that what you think? That you don't have anything I need? Because I gotta tell you you're full of shit. I found her. I watched her wake up. I put my gun to her and pulled the trigger. You didn't. I loved her as much as you did if not more, and I still did it."

Her fists clenched, wanting to punch him so badly but resisting. His eyes got wider and he let out a deep breath. "You haven't been around. What were we supposed to do, Trouble? We leave her alone and she kills herself, and I _had a feeling_. I knew we shouldn't leave her alone." He said, shaking his head toward the end helplessly.

She melted a little when she saw the crack in his armor. Stepped forward, she put a hand on his cheek, listening to him. He leaned into her hand as he spoke. "And you have to do that and instead of coming to us like you always do, you just shut down. I felt like I lost both of you that day, and I can't even think anymore."

"You didn't lose me, Sam. I snapped. I couldn't deal." She said, getting down in front of him and putting her hands on his strong arms. He grabbed her upper arms with his hands and looked her deeply in the face.

"You shouldn't have had to. It was our fault. My fault. I started drinking with her first that morning. If we'd have stopped, not gone so crazy..." He trailed off and she jumped forward, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his neck.

"Don't think like that. She was going to do it with you there or not, Sam. You have to know that." She said, feeling his tears fall onto her back, and she squeezed the back of his gently.

Dean walked in as she sat there, laughing lightly but it sounded fake. "Dude, I saw Andrea doin the walk of shame-" He froze when he saw Trouble hugging Sam, blinking at them several times. She let go of Sam and held his hand, looking up at Dean. "You're back."

"Yeah." She said quietly and Dean stepped forward, dropping to his knees in front of her. She looked up at him, her eyes sad and sorry. He didn't say anything else for the moment, just reaching out and grabbing her, wrapping her in a bear hug. He felt desperate but relieved and she sighed against him, feeling her tears threaten to come to her eyes again.

He hugged her for a solid 3 or 4 minutes before pulling back and laying a kiss on her forehead. Sitting back on his heels, he wiped his eyes and leveled a look at her. "Don't ever leave us like that again. We don't know what the hell we're doing."

"Sam seemed to be doing pretty well from what I saw." She said, stifling a laugh. He groaned and fell into his pillow.

"Can we not do this? Please. I'm still drunk." He said and she smiled. She stood up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Shower and go to sleep. It's Christmas, and its going to be all happy songs and egg nog."

He gave her a horrified look and she chuckled. She and Dean headed for the door and he stopped her with a 'hey'. She turned and looked back at him, her eyes moist.

"I love you." He said and she smiled.

"I love you too." She said and she and Dean slipped out of his room, closing the door behind them. She looked at Dean, who pulled her into a bear hug again as they stood there in the hallway.

"I'm going to talk to Ian, then I'm hitting the sack, too. I gotta sleep some of this off." He said and she nodded. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart. We'll spend tonight together, with Sam and Ian, ok?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." She said. He started to pass her and she said his name, making him turn to look at her. "Does Ian understand why I've been so gone? I mean, is he mad at me?"

"He misses you. We all do. But mad? No." Dean said and she smiled. She nodded her thanks and he disappeared into Ian's room.

The common room was still empty in the early morning hours, and she plugged the tree in, making it sparkle in the lights that she slightly dimmed in the rest of the room. She made a pot of coffee and while it was brewing she went back to the common room and turned on Christmas music low, Johnny Mathis. Her favorite. She was sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee when the elevator doors opened and Carl ran out, followed by Carol and a grinning Rick. Carl dragged his dad to the tree where Maggie and Carol and some others had small paper wrapped packages and bundles. There wasn't a lot, but when Carl saw the long package with his name on it he almost exploded, and Trouble had to stifle a laugh. She put her coffee down and went to the kitchen to get a cup for Rick.

"Did you do all that, Trouble?" Carol asked as she fixed a cozy breakfast. "The lights and the coffee?"

"Yeah. I wanted it to be ready for you when you got up." She answered and poured milk and sugar into a cup, topping it with coffee.

"Thank you very much. Carl has made my hands pretty full the last couple days." Carol smiled sweetly and Trouble stirred the coffee, sitting the spoon on a paper towel by the pot.

"No problem, Carol." She said and walked back out to the common room as Hershel, Maggie, Glen and T-Dog came from the elevator.

"Hey, thanks." Rick said cheerfully, and she grabbed a spot on the end of the couch next to his armchair as they watched Carl pick around the tree carefully. "Are you tired?" He asked, his voice low as the activity picked up around them.

"Surprisingly, no. You?" She asked, taking a sip.

"No. Did you turn on this music?" He asked, his eyes sliding over to her. "Johnny Mathis. Classic."

"My favorite Christmas music. Everything else is sub par." She said, smiling at Carl as he looked up at her excitedly.

"I couldn't agree more." He said, nodding at Shane as he came in from his room.

"Hey." He said, plopping down on the other side of Trouble and putting his arm around the back of the couch. "You look better. How ya feeling?" He asked, looking down at her interestedly.

"Better." She said leaning back and bringing her legs up underneath her.

The others wandered in with coffee, and they sat around the coffee table handing out small packages here and there, mostly between Maggie and her father, Glen, Carol and Carl. Shane watched, smiling every now and again, but he noticed Trouble was quiet, sitting there and twirling the chain he had given her around her finger absently. It gave him a proud little tingle in the bottom of his stomach and he grinned to himself.

"Dad, can I open the big one now?" Carl asked excitedly and Rick smiled, nodding to him. He ran and got it, bringing it back to the armchair his dad sat in. He ripped the paper like a little madman and when he saw the gun inside his mouth dropped open. "Oh wow! Cool!" He said, looking from the gun to his dad and back again with eyes as wide as saucers.

"Thank Trouble, too, Carl. It was her idea." Rick said and Trouble could have smacked him. He saw the look she threw him and hid a grin behind his hand. Carl stood and picked the weapon up carefully, coming to stand in front of Trouble.

"Thank you." He breathed out and she hugged him.

"I'm glad you like it, but it was your dad that said you were old enough. Be careful with it, ok?"

She said and he nodded, serious with his little face.

"I will." He said and looked back at Rick, turning to hug him tightly. He made Rick promise to show him to shoot immediately, but Carol called intermission first and told everyone to come to breakfast. Shane and Trouble were the last ones up, and he followed her closely as she headed for the kitchen.

"You do seem to be better. I'm glad to see it." He said, and she paused, looking up at him and scratching her neck lightly.

"Yeah, I know I've been out there. Just been a... weird week, you know?" She said, and he put his hand on the back of her neck.

"I do. Don't worry about it, just glad you're ok." He said, his face concerned and caring, and she put her arm around his waist, letting him put his around her shoulders as they walked into the kitchen. When they sat down at the table across from each other, he was beaming. He even called out to Carl that he'd show him some tricks on his new rifle at one point, and Rick grinned.

After breakfast, Carl dragged Rick away to play with the gun, and the kitchen was quickly cleaned up. Shane and Trouble sat on the sofa, turned around to look over the back and watch them play. They were grinning at Carl's excitable ways when Trouble looked quickly at Shane, her eyes sparkling.

"Hey, you wanna have some fun?" She asked and she looked at her devilishly.

"Christmas does strange things to you."

She rolled her eyes but laughed. "Let's take Carl outside. He's been here, how many months and the kid hasn't even been outside. It's deep snow, no walkers. Come on, what do you think?" She asked, leaning forward to speak low. Shane bit the inside of his cheek, looking back at Carl and Rick. Finally he grinned and got up, going to speak into Rick's ear. Rick began to grin and nodded, kneeling down to Carl.

"Hey, go downstairs and get dressed in the warmest stuff you got. Boots, coats, hat, and get your gloves too, then come right back here, ok?" He said and the boy nodded, his face excited. He turned around and started to run to the elevator when he spotted Trouble sitting and watching, her chin on the back of the couch.

"Hey Trouble?" He said, running up to her, Rick and Shane watching with amused smiled on their faces. "I think Dad is taking me outside. Will you go too? You and Shane?"

"Are you inviting me?" She asked, tilting her head at him.

"Yeah." He said, nodding enthusiastically.

"Then I accept. I'll go get dressed." She said and he grinned, running off to the elevator. She threw a look back at the men as she followed him, going to her own room. She quickly threw on her jeans, legwarmers, extra socks, and the thickest pair of high boots she owned. She grabbed her coat and gloves and met Shane in the hallway as he came out pulling his own coat on. Carl was already in the common room, hopping up and down excitedly while Rick went back and asked Hershel to watch the monitors for them. He grabbed a walkie and met the others back at the elevator, tugging on his own coat and gloves as he walked.

"We armed?" He asked Shane and Trouble as he approached, and they both nodded, Trouble patting her side. "Alright, eyes open. Should be ok, but we shouldn't assume it. Carl, don't go anywhere outside of where we are, got it? Stay in between me, Shane, and Trouble at all times."

Carl nodded and they got into the elevator. Hershel opened the gate for them and Rick stepped out first, his hand near his gun. He trudged forward several paces, Shane following while Trouble stood by Carl, her hand on his shoulder, just outside the gate. Finally, Rick bent and picked up a big handful of snow. Shane was turned away from him and he called his name. When Shane turned around he got a huge snowball right to the forehead, and it was on.

Carl yelped with delight, and he and Trouble rushed the men. He took on Rick and she went straight for Shane, picking up a snowball in her gloved hands. She got him in the chest and he let out a laugh, diving through the knee high snow for her. She tried to get away, get back to Rick for protection but he tackled her and they landed, laughing, in the soft snow. He let her up and she pummeled him with handfuls of snow. Rick and Carl had snuck up behind her and Carl got her in the back with a loose snowball and she turned on him, pointing to his dad and they worked together until they had him huddling low in front of them, Carl laughing hysterically at his dad's startled reaction.

Trouble sat back as he and Rick went to get Shane again, and she stood slowly, pushing her loose, snow covered blond hair back off her face. She took a moment to look around, take in the sparkling, white landscape around them. She looked back at the guys, Shane giving Rick and Carl a fight as they tried to beat him down with snowballs. They had played their way up the hill and she could see the gate behind them, coated in snow but standing out against the whiteness like a black metal razor. She was about to turn away when she noticed a trail leading out from the gate, almost invisible to the naked eye. A tunnel, or ditch flowing through the snow. Tilting her head, she narrowed her eyes and stepped forward. Coming a little closer to the ditch, she followed it with her eyes, and saw with a chill that it led right to the wall. She spun around and looked back at Rick and Shane. Rick was holding Carl up in the air and he was laughing, but she couldn't hear anything except her pounding heart.

"Rick!" She yelled and the three of them paused, looking at her curiously, but when they saw the look on her face, even across the distance she saw Rick and Shane's faces both go major serious. "Get him inside."

Rick didn't put Carl down as he started to run as fast as he could through the snow and toward the gate. It slid back for them as they got to it and Rick rushed the boy inside. He looked up at the camera and spoke loudly, with authority. "Hershel, get Carol to come get Carl, now!" He looked down at his son, who's face had gone from carefree to terrified and confused in under 15 seconds. He leaned down. "Carl, everything's fine. I just have to check something out, ok? You stay right here, Carol will be here in a minute, ok?"

He turned and ran for the gate again and it slid shut behind him. He saw Shane heading for Trouble, his weapon drawn and he took off toward her, pulling his own weapon as he moved. He got to the top of the hill and saw her blond head as she walked slowly toward the gate, her gun in her hands and ready to fire, and he felt his heart start to thump even more out of his chest.

The ditch ended near her and she looked around, ripping her gloves off and bringing her gun back to her chest, both hands on it and ready to be used. She was scanning the snow carefully around her as Shane got close enough she didn't have to yell.

"Has the alarm been on this whole time?" She asked, her eyes hurting from the sun glinting off the snow.

"Yeah." Shane said, mimicking her movements as he scanned the ground. Rick reached them and flanked her other side.

"What is it?" He asked, his voice tinged with anxiety.

"Something was out here." She answered. "But I don't know where it went."

"Get inside. When it melts we'll be able to tell." He said, and Shane looked from him back to Trouble. She frowned, but nodded, her eyes not leaving the snow. She swallowed and stepped toward them when she felt something grab her ankle and pull hard. She went down into the snow and fought to turn over, yanking her leg back and free from whatever it was. Shane and Rick let out cries of protest when she'd fallen and she heard them coming for her when the top of the walker's head appeared out of the snow. It was too close, already on her when she'd gone down, and she felt it grab again as it lurched forward and it's jaws went firmly down on her ankle. She cried out in pain and fear, feeling the gun in her hand and aiming at it's head and firing. It splattered blood across the snow and she scrambled back into Shane's arms as he reached her.

She couldn't think. It'd bitten her. She looked up at him, unable to breath, to even move as he grabbed her shoulders and yanked her up and over his shoulder just as Rick got to the both of them.

"No." Rick said breathless, looking down at the bloody mess the walker had left across the pristine snow, and up at Trouble over Shane's shoulder. Her legs were dangling, and Rick saw the large gash in the leather across her boot. It had gotten her. He wanted to fall to his knees, to scream, but he followed Shane as he jogged through the snow toward the gate.

It slid back for them as they approached and Rick saw that Carl was gone. He gasped for breath as he watched Shane grab her and lift, bringing her down to the ground, her face pale and sweating with adrenaline and fear. He fell to his knees on one side of her as Shane sat her down, and she dropped her gun, going for the laces on her boot, fumbling as she untied the knee high things. She stopped right as they came undone and looked up at them.

"You know what you have to do. You gotta do it." She began but Shane grabbed the boot and ripped it off, kneeling down on the other side of her. He threw the boot aside and Rick grabbed the leg warmers she wore, ripping them off and exposing her jean clad leg. She pulled the jeans up with a jerk and burst out laughing with relief, falling onto her back on the cold concrete. Her ankle was swollen and bruised, but the skin was unbroken.

Shane sat back and put his head in his hands, catching his breath. Rick felt the world come rushing back to his ears, her laughter echoing on the walls around them and fading into the void. He rubbed his hand across his mouth, sitting back and landing against one of the walls, were he pulled his legs up to his chest and put his chin against his chest.

Trouble felt her heart start beating again, and she couldn't stop from laughing in relief. She thought that was it, she was gone, and she wasn't. She'd made it. She sat up and grabbed Shane, ignoring the pain in her sprained ankle and hugging his head his forehead against hers. He moved after a minute, wrapping his arms around her and burying his head in the side of her neck, his breath so hard and fast she thought he might hyperventilate. She looked over as she held him at Rick, and he looked up at her, tears in his eyes and she let out a sob. She held her other arm and he crawled slowly to her, wrapping his arm around her waist too, his other one on her head, pressing his lips against her temple, thanking God she was ok.

"I'm alright." She whispered to the both of them as they clung to her, and she held them both tightly, one in each arm, and closing her eyes.


	28. What were you thinking?

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

T-Dog raced from the elevator and found them huddled there, the three of them, and skidded to a stop on his knees in front of them. "What happened? Is she bit?" He stammered, praying they would just answer him. Rick and Shane pulled back from her and he saw them wiping their eyes and breathing deeply. She looked at him and shook her head.

"It didn't go all the way through." She said, trembling as she reached forward and grabbed her discarded boot. She stuck her finger through the hole in the leather and grabbed her leg warmer. It was torn too, she saw. Her jeans had been the last layer of resistance. If she hadn't have worn all of it, she'd be dead. She sat back again and shook her head, putting her hand to her head and taking in a deep breath.

"Motherfu..." T-Dog breathed out, scratching his head hard, shaking his head. "Let's get down there." He stood up and closed the door, and the swirling clouds of snow dust faded away on the floor around them. Shane stood slowly, then Rick, and they grabbed her hands, helping to get her to her feet. She winced when she put weight on the ankle, her pain finally becoming apparent now that the shock had faded slightly, and Shane picked her up, wedding style and they four of them slowly moved into the elevator, Rick holding her shoe and leg warmer tightly in his hand.

"Will one of you please say something?" She said as the elevator slid closed and Shane looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You scared the hell out of me." He said flatly, his chocolate eyes tired and worn.

"I think I had a heart attack." Rick said next and she looked back at him, her eyes wide. He was leaning against the wall, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

"Everybody downstairs thinks you're dead." T-Dog said and she pressed her lips together.

"I take it back. Quiet is good." She said softly as the door opened and she was faced with the terrified eyes of Maggie, Glen, and Hershel. Shane carried her in and sat her down on the couch, taking a place next to her and leaning back against the back of it, throwing his head back and closing his eyes as Hershel came around to look at her ankle. Rick stood behind them and looked at Maggie and Glen.

"She's ok. Probably sprained her ankle." He said. "Where's Carl?"

"Downstairs with Carol. He's ok, a little scared. Doesn't know what's going on." Maggie said and he walked away toward the elevator that goes downstairs. T-Dog went to the cabinet and grabbed a bottle, filling a glass with scotch and downing it in one gulp, looking back at her on the couch and running the back of his hand over his mouth.

"You did sprain it, young lady." Hershel said, hovering over her ankle and testing its movements. When he turned it a little too far, she hissed in pain, and he stood back up slowly. "Shane, why don't you take her on back to her room and I'll be along to wrap it up."

He nodded and got up, reaching down and picking her up like he did before, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her to her room. He sat her down gently on her bed and she scooted back, watching him take a seat on the side and lean forward, putting his elbows on his knees and his head going down. He looked completely deflated and she put a hand on his back.

"Shane? It's ok now." She asked quietly.

"I thought I lost you." He said softly, sitting back up and looking at her, his eyes tired and scared. He leaned forward into her lap, and she put her arms around him, rubbing the large man's neck and shoulders.

"Me too." She said and he shuddered under her touch. Hershel came in then and Shane got up quickly and went to her arm chairs, sinking down into one and slumping down, watching silently.

"How badly does it hurt?" Hershel asked her as he started to wrap it with an elastic bandage and when he turned it a little she winced and sucked in a breath.

"Pretty bad." She said and he frowned.

"Do you have any of the medicine I gave you left?" He asked and she reached in her nightstand and pulled out a bottle, shaking it. "Good. I would recommend you go ahead and take some, and get some ice on it soon. Keep it up, and stay off it." He said, finishing his wrapping. "And I expect you to take care of this better than you did that hand, young lady. No excuses this time."

"Ok, Hershel. Thanks." She said, smiling at the old man as he shuffled out of the room and shut the door behind him. She opened the bottle and took a few of the pills out, swallowing them quickly and sitting the bottle down. She sighed and looked at Shane, who looked like he was sleeping in her chair, but his tense posture told her he was just trying to come back down from his terrified state. "Shane?"

He opened his eyes and let his head rest against the back of the chair as he looked at her. She moved aside and held out her hand to him. He stood up slowly and came back to the bed, putting his head in her lap. "I'm sorry I suggested we go out there. I shouldn't have put you in danger. I just never thought there would be anything out there, with the alarm and the snow. It's been so long since we saw one."

He nodded his head against her leg, taking a deep breath. "Please, I can't stand it if you two are mad at me." She said and his head snapped up.

"Mad?" He repeated, his eyes wide and disbelieving. "We're not mad, we're fuckin terrified. I watched you get bit. It's every nightmare I ever had come true and I just watched it happen." He said, his eyes so frantic again she grabbed him and pulled him against her shoulder.

"I know, but I'm ok, and we're not going back out there, ok?" She murmured against his hair as she rubbed his back and felt his arms around her waist. "It's over now, and it's ok."

He laid there, and she felt his breath regulate again slowly. He finally sat up and rubbed his face, hard. "I'm going to get a really, _really_ big drink." He said wearily, and he stood up, heading for the door. "I love you." He said, looking back at her as he disappeared. She sank down in his pillows and pulled her blankets over herself, and tried not think and wishing the fuzziness would settle over her soon.

Ian woke up and dressed, and headed out to the kitchen. He found the remnants of breakfast laying around and frowned. Carol usually had this stuff cleaned up right after. He grabbed a coffee cup and poured himself some, taking a sip as he went back out to the common room. Maggie and Glen were sitting close on the couch, talking, and he thought it strange too that on Christmas it would be so sparcely populated. T-Dog was in the corner, his head in his hand tiredly.

"I can't imagine what I would have done." Glen was saying to Maggie. They hadn't noticed him come back out, and their backs were to him. "Standing right there, watching Trouble get bit. You see that boot? It was torn through. My god." He said and Ian dropped his cup, splattering coffee across the room. They looked back suddenly, Maggie's mouth dropping open when she saw the color completely disappear from Ian's face and he looked like he was going to drop himself.

"No, Ian, wait! It's not-" She stood and reached forward as he raced from the room.

Trouble got bit. It screamed in his head and the short hallway felt like the longest thing in the world. He hit her door with all his weight, throwing it open and falling inside, and when he saw her sit up in bed and look at him, startled, he couldn't stop a groan from coming up out of his throat. He raced to her and dropped to his knees by the bed, reaching blindly for her.

"Why did they say you got bit?" He blurted, his eyes wide and terrified. She blinked at him, letting out a breath and taking his arm, pulling him toward her, up and on the bed.

"We took Carl out to play in the snow. It was dumb, but I didn't think anything would be out there. There was a walker, it had come across the yard and we didn't see it. It got me, but the bite didn't go all the way through, I'm fine." She spoke quickly and he stared at her.

"You went out?" He repeated. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"How many walkers have you seen since the snowfall, Ian? I had no reason to believe one would tunnel across the yard. I've never seen anything like it." She said, putting her hands in her lap as he got up and paced across the room and back.

"But you're ok?" He stopped and looked back at her, his hands on his hips.

"Sprained my ankle, but yeah." She nodded, and sat back tiredly.

He came back to the bed and sat back down, turning toward her and running his hand up her arm to her face. "Thank God. Who the hell thought this was a good idea? Who was out there with you?"

"Carl, me, Shane and Rick." She said and he huffed angrily.

"They should have known better, even if you didn't. Going out there like that, trying to get everyone killed."

"It was my idea, Ian. We checked, there was nothing out there. Carl hasn't been out since they got here, we thought it would be a nice Christmas present. You know, be a kid for a fuckin minute?"

He understood the reasoning. Didn't mean he wasn't still pissed. He frowned and sat back. "And it got you?"

"Yeah. Take a look, but do _not_ freak on me." She said, gesturing to the boot Hershel had brought in when he'd come to wrap her ankle. Ian picked it up and when he saw the torn gash in the leather he paled again. He swallowed again, dropping it and going back to her, taking her face in his hands and kissing her lips deeply.

"My God." He said sitting back, and shaking his head. "I need to talk to Dean and Sam. They find out the way I just did and there _will_ be somebody dying today."

"Ok." She said sleepily. The medicine was kicking in full force for her, and she felt blurry, pleasantly warm. "Thanks."

He left the room, still shaking his head. He went to Sam's room and walked in, pushing the young man with his palm. Sam sat up, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "What is it?"

"Come on, gotta tell you something." He said, and he was so firm, so serious, Sam woke up immediately. He pulled on a shirt and followed Ian to Dean's room. They walked in and found Dean face down across his bed, his face halfway buried in his pillow. He woke up with the noise Ian made when he came in and he winced up at the light Ian turned on, putting up his hand to shield his eyes.

"What the hell, dude?" He muttered. Ian sat down in his chair, shoving the clothes there to the floor, and Dean raised up, his eyes narrowing warily.

"Ian, what the hell is going on?" Sam crossed his arms and stayed standing, he and his brother watching Ian closely.

"I'm only doing this so you don't get the half ass info I was blessed with." Ian said, letting out a deep breath. "And you need know, Trouble is fine. For the most part."

They both leaned forward at that and Dean tilted his head at Ian. "What do you mean 'she's fine'?"

"She went out with Shane and Rick and the kid. Took him to play in the snow." Ian began and Sam raised his eyebrows.

"_Outside_?" He repeated and Ian looked up at him, irritated. Sam bit his cheek and let him continue.

"Walker got over the gate, through the snow. She said it tunneled. It got her before she saw it. Tore a pretty good chunk out of her boot, but it didn't get to the skin. She's ok." Ian finished and saw their eyes go wide.

"She got bit?" Dean asked quickly.

"Yeah, but like I said, it didn't get all the way through." Ian knit his eyebrows together in frustration. Sam turned and left the room fast, and Dean followed without bothering to get a shirt on. It was a good thing he was wearing his jeans because Ian doubted he'd have stopped for that either.

Dean threw Trouble's door open and it hit the wall with a thud, bringing her up out of bed with a start. She looked at Dean like he was crazy when he launched himself across the room and over her in the bed.

"Watch the ankle, dude!" She cried, laughing a little as he nearly smothered her with his hug. He moved off her a little but kept holding her tight to his chest. "Dean, I'm ok. Ian, what did you tell him?"

Ian stood against the door and watched them. "The truth." He said dryly.

She put her hands up and brought his shoulder down so she could breath, and looked up at Sam. "I'm fine, you guys. Please don't freak out."

Sam waited for Dean to move away a little before he took his place, albeit not as aggressively. He sat down on the edge of her bed and wrapped her in his arms, breathing in deeply against her head.

"Why were you outside? You know better than that." He said firmly, slightly irritated. "Why do that?"

"It was a fluke. There's not been anything out there since the storm came. We didn't think it would be a problem, not for just a few minutes." She said, her chin on his shoulder. Sam sat back and he and Dean took places on each side of her legs close to her.

"And you're really ok?" Dean asked, his face pale.

"Sprained my ankle." She said frowning. "And ruined my favorite boots." Dean clapped his hand on his head.

"You gotta be freakin kidding me. Boots."

"Yeah. They were really nice."

"You ever do anything like that again, and I'll kill you myself." Ian said from the door.

"Don't think you gotta worry about that." She said, looking over at him. "This kinda left an impression." They sat there quietly for a minute, and she sighed. "You guy aren't going to let me out of your sight for a while are you?"

"Hell no." Dean said flatly, falling back on her bed and putting his arm over his eyes, and Ian sighed.

"Got no choice. At least, until we figure out what happened to your sense of self preservation." He said. A knock came at the door and Rick stuck his head in. His eyes got even more tired when the three guys immediately started yelling. He was being stupid with her, what were they doing, blah blah blah.

"Hey!" She finally yelled at the top of her lungs and the room got quiet. "I love you guys to death, but you gotta stop. This wasn't Rick's fault, it was my idea. We had no reason to believe it was unsafe."

"Right." Dean said and she looked at him harshly.

"Dean." She said, her voice heavy with warning. "You guys are still tired, and I'm just a little bit off with the medicine, so I'd very much appreciate it if you could give me a minute. And do not- _do not_- say one damn word to Shane or Rick about this. It's on me."

They looked at her, then at Rick, and reluctantly got up. They didn't say a word as they filed out past Rick, but Ian took the opportunity to shoot him a harsh glare. Rick sighed and closed the door after them, leaning on it and looking at her.

"How's Carl?" She asked.

"Fine. Once he knew you were ok he was right back to the rifle. Still wants me to show him to shoot later." He said, taking a few steps across the room and ending up at her bed. He sat down on the edge. "I'm so sorry. I never should have taken you and him up there."

"It was my idea." She said. "I could have gotten you and Carl killed. Gotten myself killed. The guys were right, I was a dumbass."

He looked at her, and chuckled, before putting his hands up to his head and groaning. "When I saw you get bit I really did have a heart attack, you know." He said softly and she looked at him sadly.

"I bet." She answered and put her arms out, rubbing his shoulders. He fell forward into her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his head to her chest. She ran her hands over his head and neck, holding him tightly. "It's ok now, Rick." He eventually leaned back a little but did not detach himself from her grasp.

He looked up into her face. She was looking at him happily, her loose hair dry now and in curls around her face. He reached up and kissed her, and she moved her hand up to his cheek, closing her eyes. They broke after a minute, and he smiled against her lips. "You're feeling pretty good right now, aren't you?"

"Yeah." She admitted a little shyly. "Wish I could say the same for you, for the guys."

He shook his head. "Oh no, you're alive. I'm better than ok." He grinned.

She sighed, leaning back and stretching her arms into the air. "You know, you make me feel totally relaxed."

He chuckled, sitting up and raised an eyebrow at her. "I should go get Carl."

"Alright." She smiled. "Have fun. Tell him I said hi."

"Tell him yourself. I'm sure he's going to want to see you soon." He said with a smile and left the room. She got up and hobbled to the bathroom, grabbing a hairbrush and untangling her hair from the mess it had worked itself into. She pulled it into a high ponytail and stripped her tee shirt and jeans off, balancing on her good foot. It didn't hurt too much, the medicine had taken care of that, as well as putting her into a nice, relaxed state, but she'd promised Hershel she'd take it easy. She grabbed her black shorts from the chair in the corner and pulled on a black tank top and let herself out into the hallway. She made her way into the control room and sat looking intently at the screens, trying to see the tunnel the walker had made. She couldn't make it out but she could see the dark splash of blood on the snow in the bottom of the front gate monitor. She shivered and looked away, thinking of her close call. If Carl had come across it first things would be a lot different now.

"I'm real glad I gave you that quarter. Looks like you need it more than I do." T-Dog said as he walked in. He grabbed the stool next to her and reached forward, twirling the quarter around her neck between his fingers.

She looked down and looked at it. "It came in handy, that's for sure."

He let it go and put her arms around her and she hugged him back. She felt him let a breath as he let her go and sat back on the stool, looking at her. "You can't go and get yourself killed, girl. I'd go crazy around here without you. You the only one got any real soul." He grinned and she laughed at him.

"I think Dean would disagree with you." She said lightly.

He shrugged. "Dean's cool by me. But he ain't got that ass." He looked up at her from the top of his eyes and grinned. She laughed out loud.

"T-Dog, you're unique." She said, sitting back and putting her good leg underneath her. He looked down at her wrapped ankle.

"So that's all you came out of that with? Huh. Pretty lucky." He repeated.

"That, and a healthy dose of reality. Dumb move, going up there." She said, spinning slightly in the chair and frowning.

"Hey, I ain't seen a walker in weeks. If I'd had known you were going, I probably would have come too." He said and she looked at him gratefully.

"Please tell Sam, Dean, and Ian that." She said.

"They know. They're just scared." He said, looking up at the monitors. "You see anything else out there?"

"I didn't see anything to begin with." She said, following his gaze. "But no. For what it's worth."

"Yeah, not much now." He agreed.

"We're going to have to wait till the snow melts completely before we go back out. I just wish the roof access panel was able to be opened. It would make me feel a hell of a lot better to be able to get up there."

"Give it a couple more days. Stay off your ankle. When you're feelin' better we'll work on it." He said casually and she looked over at him, eyebrow raised.

"Deal." A loud pop from the common room sounded and they looked toward the door. She grinned.

"Kid's got his gun." She said.

"Well, let's get out there, see what jacked up style Rick is teachin' him." T-Dog said and she laughed. She stood up and hopped forward, but T-Dog turned around and got down a little, looking back at her expectantly. She laughed and let him boost her piggyback, and she rode out on his back to the common room.

"Comin' through! Don't shoot!" She cried out, laughing as T-Dog hopped and jammed his way to the couch, and they sat and watched Carl and Rick aim and shoot with the air rifle, loud pops permeating the air, only stopping when Carol finally called everyone to dinner.

The close call had made everyone, for a change, want to be together, and Trouble looked around about halfway through at the faces around her. Christmas dinner, she thought wryly. Who would have thought Sam, Dean, Ian and T-Dog would be trading jabs like old times, Shane would be laughing quietly as he listened to them and going for second helpings. That Rick and Carl would be at the end, joking with each other, even Carol, Andrea, Maggie, Carl and Hershel easy and friendly with the situation. Trouble looked at the top of the table where Anna used to sit- a chair no one had the inclination to ever take. It sat empty, a memorial to the wonderful woman they'd lost.

I miss you Anna.

Trouble glanced up at the ceiling and let the thought fly into the void, wishing she could know if it reached the woman.

"Earth to Trouble?" She was snapped to reality, and whipped her head over at Dean, who, like most everyone else, was looking at her curiously.

"I was thinking. You should give it a try." She raised an eyebrow at Dean and took a bite, a round of low oooooo's going around the table.

"No, no, I think it's great you're trying new things." Dean shot back, but his eyes twinkled. Sam and Ian's eyes went wide, and they turned back to Trouble slowly. Everyone was staring at her now, wondering how she'd take that. She picked up her steak knife and twirled it in her hand, looking back at Dean dangerously. He opened his mouth to speak but she moved like a flash, lifting her arm, moving back and letting the knife fly. It whizzed over his head and stuck into the wall behind him, and he ducked

Dean glared at her. "I hate it when you do that. Andyou missed." He said, and she took a bite of her casserole and looked back at him easily.

"No I didn't." She said and he frowned. Rick stood up and went to the knife in the wall. Pinned to the wall was a large spider, a wolf spider maybe, stuck right through the center with the tip of the knife. He looked back at Trouble and she grinned when he burst out laughing. T-Dog and the others got up and saw what he was looking at.

"I'll be damned." T-Dog looked at her with wide eyes as Rick pulled the knife from the wall, still smiling widely.

"God damn." Dean breathed and sat back in his chair, but Shane clapped him hard on the back, his face red with laughter, and Dean started to laugh too. Eventually he was rolling like Sam and T-Dog, and she grinned into her mashed potatoes. Carl got up and ran around the table to her.

"Will you teach me how to do that?" He asked, his face excited.

She nodded. "As soon as you get the rifle thing down, we'll do it." She said and he grinned. "But for now, I really have something I want to show you, ok?"

"What is it?" He asked, his eyes getting wide.

"You finish up here and come to the tv, ok?" She said as the others got up around her, quickly cleaning up the table.

"What have you got planned?" Rick came up to her as the boy ran away, grabbing his plate and taking it to the sink.

"You'll see." She grinned and got up, hopping along lightly and he followed her to the common room. She turned the lights down a little and clicked the remote. Rick watched as 'Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer' cued up and he grinned.

"He loves this one." He said, and she sat down on the end of the couch and grinned at him.

"Everyone loves this." She said, and true to form, Dean came out from the kitchen and let a whoop out.

"Yeah! Rudolph!" He exclaimed and Trouble grinned up at Rick.

"See?" She said and he laughed, grabbing the armchair to her left. Carl ran in and pushed past Ian to get the spot next to her on the couch, and she looked at the dark haired man with amusement. He put up his hands and took the remaining place on the couch. Everyone else sat around them, on chairs or spots on the floor, and they watched the animation classic together. Even Shane. It was the first Christmas they had had since all this had started, and it actually felt normal.

Rick watched the movie, but a big part of his time was spent watching Trouble and Carl. The boy started out leaning against her, watching the movie excitedly, but when the credits rolled he was laying asleep in her lap, his head on her shoulder, a blanket thrown over the two of them. He watched her hold his son and felt his heart start to ache for her. Carol was amazing with Carl, but she was the older authority figure. Trouble was the girl Carl could grow up loving like a mother, and go to for things. Talk to about things he wouldn't come to Rick for.

Rick glanced up as Sam and Dean stood, stretching, and looked at Shane on a chair across from him. Shane was watching her and the boy, too, and he met Rick's eyes and a small grin spread across his face. He shifted in his seat, crossed his legs, and ran a hand over his face, his eyes going back to her.

Trouble watched Sam and Dean get up and go to the kitchen, and others excused themselves for bed and left quickly. Rick waved Carol on, he'd take care of Carl. Ian rolled his eyes when he saw Carl sleeping against Trouble's shoulder, and he chuckled, going with T-Dog to the kitchen for a drink with Sam and Dean. He'd obviously been all sugar and spiced out, this was getting ridiculous. She looked down into the sleeping boy's face and adjusted her arm underneath him, holding him tight.

When she looked up and saw Rick and Shane staring at her, she frowned. "What?" She whispered and Rick smiled, getting up and kneeling next to her.

"I'll take him downstairs." He said softly, looking in her eyes as he moved his arms around hers, picking Carl up and out of her arms. He didn't budge as his dad took him quickly away and to his bedroom downstairs. She took the opportunity to stretch, her arms had long ago gone numb.

"He loves you." Shane said, watching her from his chair.

"He's a sweet kid." She said, leaning back and putting her legs underneath her.

"Yeah, he is." Shane said, his eyes going to the floor. He'd come to think of Carl as his own for a while, then that got taken away. He needed to change the subject, clear his mind."You want a drink?"

"What the hell. Sure."

"Whiskey?" He raised and eyebrow and she grinned.

"You know what I like." She said and he smiled as he grabbed a couple glasses and a bottle from the cabinet. He brought it back to the coffee table and poured them both a glass, grabbing a seat next to her and leaned back. She took a sip and leaned back again, resting her head against the fabric.

"You ok?" He asked, brushing a stray hair out of her eyes.

"Been a long day." She said, yawning lightly.

"Come on, I'll take you to bed." He said, putting his glass down and sitting up, but he paused when she shook her head.

"I have a better idea." She said, a smile around her lips.

"Is that a fact?" He asked cheekily and she chuckled.

"Head out of the gutter, Walsh." She said, pushing the blanket off her legs and standing up. She used his shoulder for balance as she moved past him, and she was startled when he grabbed her arm and swept her up over his shoulder. "Oh my God!" She laughed loudly. "What are you doing?"

"Where to, ma'am?" He spoke with a serious authority.

"Oh my god..." She repeated, feeling his arm tighten on her, his hand on her thigh. "My room, officer. Please." He obliged and had her almost to the door when Rick came from the elevator and saw Shane disappear in her room with her over his shoulder. He frowned, hearing her laughter echo down the hall. Stopping at her door, he could still hear her. "Down, Shane. Put me down."

Shane chuckled as he did so, letting her go. "Do you have any idea how many times I've sprained my ankle dancing? I am perfectly capable of getting myself around." She was saying, and Rick let a breath out. It had looked for a minute like it used to when she and Shane were together, and he'd felt his heart seize in his chest. Watching her with Carl had affected him more than he would like to admit.

"I wanted to help anyway." Shane said, sitting down in the armchair. "What are you doing?"

"Not me, us. All of us. Remember when you first got here? We used to lay around and drink and watch movies. We never do that anymore, not really." She said, noticing Rick at the door. "Hey, you up for more movies? Maybe something a little less kid friendly now?"

He grinned and crossed his arms. "What do you have in mind?" He glanced at Shane, who just grinned.

"I don't know. You pick." She said, sitting down on her bed. "But do it before Dean comes or you'll never get a chance."

He grabbed the remote and clicked through it, settling quickly on The Professional. She looked up at him, impressed. "Very nice."

He shrugged and sat on the end of the bed as Dean poked his head in. "You already pick it?"

"Yeah, sorry. But it's good." She said, and gestured to the screen. He shrugged, nodding appreciatively, and coming in and grabbing a place on the floor next to her bed, a bottle of scotch in his hand and a pleasantly dazed look on his face. Sam was tipsy and followed him in, throwing himself next to her on the bed. He threw his arm around her and took a drink from his own bottle. She looked up as Ian came in and he sat down on her other side, so she was sandwiched between him and Sam. Rick found himself relegated to a position across the foot of the bed, and he leaned on his elbow facing the tv. Trouble touched his arm and he rolled back slightly to look at her. She had a pillow and he grabbed it with a nod, tucking it underneath him. T-Dog, lastly, had taken a place on the other chair, and they all settled in to watch the movie, the only sound the swish of liquor as someone took a drink.

She could tell Ian was feeling good because he leaned on her not quite halfway through the movie and she shifted so her back was to him and he pressed against her on his side, leaning on his elbow behind her. She looked up at Sam, who looked down at her blearily but with that lazy grin she loved about her cousin. He put his arm up and she leaned against him, nestled into the place under his arm. Eventually Rick relaxed too and she felt him settle in against her knees and she pulled a blanket over him.

She looked for a second at the others, Dean, Shane, and T-Dog, and she was startled to see Shane was staring at her, his eyes shaded in the dark and flashing lights of the tv. She pressed her lips together, but kept her eyes on him. His eyes, even in the dark, looked heavy and needing, and she recognized his expression for what it was: plain, unadulterated desire for her. The movie couldn't be over fast enough.

She almost groaned in relief when the movie faded to black and the credits started to roll. She avoided Shane's gaze and patted Sam on the cheek, but he was out so deeply it made no difference.

"Yo! Sammy." Dean barked in his brother's face, and Sam just breathed deeply.

"Leave him. He'll sleep it off." Trouble said, and Dean shrugged, but Ian did a double take. He got in close to her as the others moved off the bed.

"Come back to my room." He said, his blue eyes pleading but his tone casual. She motioned for him to stay, to hold on, while she said goodnight to everyone else. Shane tipped his head to her, it was obvious he wasn't getting her alone, and he drifted tiredly from the room, the muscles in his shoulders moving like a cat's. T-Dog grinned at her and followed him. Rick patted her leg and smiled, and she returned it and watched him go off to his own room. Dean leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"Goodnight." He said, yawning and she grinned.

"'Night."

He nodded, and she turned back to Ian after Dean was gone.

"Ian, if I came back to your room now we'd only have a couple hours before we'd be back up. I'm already exhausted and sore." She looked at him so earnestly that he felt his irritation melt away.

"Alright." He said after a minute. "But if we don't spend some time together soon, it's entirely possible I could spontaneously combust. Just sayin'." He said, his hand running through his hair, clearly worked up.

She leaned into him, kissing him deeply. She tickled his bottom lip with her tongue, and he opened his mouth, his lips and his own tongue fighting for dominance. She broke and opened her eyes, seeing his big blue ones get even wider. "I'll make it up to you."

He stayed a half an inch from her face. "I'm counting on it."

"Goodnight." She smiled and he sighed, shaking his head but smiling.

"'Night." He said, slipping out her door and shutting it behind him. Trouble took a deep breath and looked at her closed door. She frowned and looked down at the sleeping Sam next to her.

"Things used to be simple. What the hell happened?" She asked him, not expecting a response. She reached and turned off the light, settling in next to him. She was asleep before she could really start to think about the craziness her life had become.

The morning came, and she opened her eyes, confused. There was a light snoring coming from next to her and she looked down. Sam was laying on his stomach next to her, his arm thrown over her waist as he lay face down in the mattress. She grinned, moving his arm off her and sitting up. She glanced at the clock, and it said 10am. She wasn't surprised she'd slept so late. She yawned and started to unwrap her ankle. She was removing the bandage when she heard Sam cough.

She put her ankle up on the bed to look at it, glancing back at him and seeing his eyes open. "Hey." He muttered, seeing her there.

"Morning, sunshine." She grinned and went back to looking at the injury. It was puffy, discolored, but it wasn't as bad as she'd had. She had a suspicion that the walker's jaws had done more damage than anything else. She would heal quickly.

Sam sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Thanks for letting me crash."

"No problem. You're better than a heating pad, you're really warm." She joked and he chuckled.

"How's the ankle?" He asked, leaning over to look at it. "Yeee... Ouch."

"I've had worse." She said and he lifted his eyebrows.

"What, amputation?"

"You're hilarious. I'm going to shower." She said, dropping the bandage on the bed and kissing him on the cheek. She hopped to the bathroom and got in slowly under the hot water, and when she emerged a half hour later, Sam had gone. She went to her closet and grabbed her jeans and pulled on a sleeveless black tee, tying it up at her waist. She brushed her long hair out and braided it into one thick braid that hung over her shoulder. She quickly rewrapped her ankle and left her room.

The common room was empty, and she made her way, slower than she normally would, to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. She was making it, and a bagel, when Shane came in.

"Morning." She said, putting the peanut butter she put on the bagel away. He looked pleased to see her, and grabbed some coffee for himself. "Where is everybody?"

"Not sure." He said, just as T-Dog came in. He shot a look at Trouble as he grabbed a coffee cup.

"That rifle, did you really think about it before you gave it to Carl or do you just hate me?" He asked, pouring his cup full. She grinned, hopping around the grab the stool at the counter. "Pop! Pop! Constantly. He keeps this up I'm going to move up here."

"You can bunk with Shane, right?" She looked innocently up at Shane, who raised her eyebrows over his coffee cup.

"I don't think so." He said firmly.

She chuckled as looked over at T-Dog leaning tiredly against the counter. "Carl'll get used to it, the novelty will wear off. You will have peace again, I assure you."

"Yeah, here's to hopin my sanity holds out that long." T-Dog said dryly and left the room. She laughed and turned back to her bagel. Shane leaned down on his elbows on the counter, turning his cup back and forth absently.

"Maybe I should have tweaked the sound too. But that was what I knew he'd like about it." She said to him. "Loud like his dad's and yours. He loves watching you with your gun."

"Don't worry about it. T'll live." He grinned at her and her brushed her hands off and stood up, taking her plate to the sink carefully. He watched her clean up, wave at him and leave for some random chore. He took a deep breath and stayed there a while, sipping his coffee and thinking.


	29. New Year's Eve

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

The week between Christmas and New Years Day went quickly. Trouble made up to Ian the lack of contact they had been experiencing. He woke up with her wrapped in his arms more than once, and he regained some of the carefree, sarcastic ways he'd seemed to lose over the last few weeks. Shane seemed to watch the screens religiously since Trouble's close call, and Rick spent every day with Carl. Everyone had something to do, even if it was just playing, relaxing, wrestling, watching movies and drinking like Sam, Dean, and T-Dog. It was, like she reminded them, not going to be very much longer until the snow melted and they'd be back on point. But for now, they were still snowed in and they planned to make the most of it.

New Year's Day was much more low key than Christmas had been. No presents, no crazy snowball throwing field trip. In fact, Carl hadn't been feeling that great and spent most of the day sleeping. It wasn't like him, but Carol was monitoring his low fever, watching him for Rick. Hershel had determined he had a slight case of the flu, nothing to worry about. He'd be right as rain in less than a week.

Trouble had kept her word and stayed off her ankle. If they hadn't been snowed in, she would not have been as successful, but it was good timing. By New Year's Day the swelling was almost completely gone and the discoloration had faded to a dusty shadow of what it was. She got up that morning and worked her way out from Ian's grip, pulled on the long teeshirt she had worn the night before, and made her way back to her room. It was only 7, so no one but maybe Hershel and Carol downstairs would even be up, and she moved without interruption. She was in the shower, almost done and rinsing her hair, when the water went from hot to cold, and she let out a long breath.

"You gotta be freakin kidding me." She mumbled to the shower wall and finished in the icy water quickly. Jumping out, she was shivering as she dried off and wrapped her hair tightly in the towel. Going out to her room, she grabbed a pair of low rise jeans from her closet and a tight green tank top. She was going into a tight space, and loose clothes would be nothing but a hinderance. She went back to the bathroom and brushed her teeth and tied her wet hair up into a knot in back of her head, and went into the hallway, hardly limping at all. She got to the control room and grabbed a small toolbox they kept under the back table, and went to the laundry room. She opened a door against the back left corner and narrowed her eyes, looking at the water heater in front of her. She bit her lip, knelt down and opened the toolbox, and got to work.

Rick stepped into the icy water of his shower and cleaned up quickly. He'd bet anything Trouble already knew about the problem and was on it. He dressed quickly and found her in the laundry room, on her knees and inspecting the wiring of the water heater in the storage closet.

"Hey, figured you be in here." He said and she looked back at him for a second before turning back to her task.

"Yeah, ran out on me in the middle of my shower. I think it's a sensor problem, and that's the good news." She said, leaning back, her hands on her knees.

Rick leaned against the washing machine and looked down at her. "Why do I think you're about to follow that up with bad news?" He asked.

"Because you know me." She raised her eyebrows and he chuckled.

"Give it up. What is it?"

"We have two water heaters. There's this one, set to handle a large house, but there's a mother unit too. It supplements this one's supply." She stood and rubbed her hair back where it had come a little loose around her face.

"Ok, and this other unit would be where?" Rick asked warily.

"North bunker." She said, putting her tools away and closing the toolbox.

"Of course it is." Rick said sarcastically. She looked up at him and chuckled. "Why can't we just use this unit to heat our water?"

"You have no idea how much we actually use, do you? No one had been up this morning and it already ran out, with one shower! We need the water from the secondary unit." She turned and came to lean on the washer next to him, her arms crossed.

"I don't want to go back out there after what happened, Trouble." He looked down at her and ran a hand over her cheek to her shoulder. She allowed him to pull her in for a short hug, but anybody could be coming at any moment, and they broke quickly.

"We know the dangers now. I'll need Sam to help me, you'll be there, Shane, T-Dog, maybe Dean. We'll be safe, do it fast, and get back here." She said, her hand in his tightly. "I'm not going to get hurt, Rick."

He looked down at her, her big eyes the only thing he could see. He sighed and nodded.

"I'll get the guys. Will you get Hershel and T-Dog? Meet you in the control room after you get dressed." She said, backing up and disappearing from the door way. He shook his head and grinned, and went to do what she had asked.

Sam and Dean got up quickly and went to the control room, but Shane was sleeping hard. She knocked again and let herself in carefully. She was still a little wary of doing this, and she put her hand up over her eyes and peeked through her fingers until she saw his large shape in bed alone. She let out a breath and went to the side of his bed and sat down.

"Shane." She said softly, and lightly scratched his back with her nails. He shifted then, and turned over, looking at her with sleepy but surprised eyes.

"Are you ok? What's wrong?" He asked, sitting up quickly, the sheet falling away from his bare, massive chest.

"It's ok, just need you to back me up. Gotta fix the water heater." She said, tilting her head at him.

"Where is it?" He asked, rubbing his eyes with his finger and thumb.

"North bunker." She said, standing. "Get dressed warm."

"What? Wait." He said as she turned. He grabbed her hand and looked up at her frowning. "Outside? After what happened?"

She sighed. "I'm going to have you with me. It'll be fine." She turned and slipped out his door quickly, before he could protest any more, and into her own room, where she quickly got layers on, tied up her thick boots, and pulled on a thick jacket. She tested her ankle. It was still a little weak, this snow was going to hurt and probably swell her back up pretty good, but there was no helping it.

She moved a little slower back to the common room. Hershel sat in the desk chair and she loaded up a second gun, putting it on her other hip. Her hand had healed tot he point where she could do most anything again, a line across her palm the only indicator she had been hurt since Hershel took the stitches out.

"Sam, you get the toolbox for me, ok?" She said to the small group. "Everybody else stay close, remember, anything could be in the snow and we won't know it."

She was met with serious gazes, Rick frowning like there was no tomorrow. She shook her head and grinned at them, surprising all of them. "You people stay so dire and depressed and I'm not coming back." She raised and eyebrow and Dean started to chuckle.

"Let's do this." He said, snapping the magazine back in his Beretta. He'd been carrying it since she'd fixed it, delighted to have it back. They went to the elevator and Hershel slid the gate back for them as Dean opened the door. The cold wind his them all in the face like a blast, but once they stepped outside she realized it was a little warmer. The snow melted slightly and a little icier, wetter.

They drew their guns and walked toward the north field, the sounds of their crunching feet in the snow the only sound. She led them to the bunker without incident, and Ian unlocked it quickly. He and Dean kicked the snow away from the door and pulled it open, letting the others in before closing it behind them. Trouble flicked a light on and they all looked toward the back of the larger than the rest bunkers at a massive heating unit along the end. She and Sam got to work immediately, and Rick and Shane watched them wordlessly begin to work together, knowing each other so well they didn't have to speak.

The unit was tall, the bunker itself being two stories, and Sam lifted her onto his shoulders and she worked quickly on a tall part of the equipment. Within a few minutes they had a face plate off and were tweaking and checking different parts.

"I'm glad they're here. If that was me, we'd be taking cold showers from now on." Shane said softly, looking around the building curiously.

"I hear ya." Rick responded, following his gaze to the shelves and stray pieces of parts and tools around the space. He turned back and saw Trouble on the ground on her back, working on something underneath the thing.

"Sam, check the display." She said, her voice muffled. They all turned back to her legs sticking out from the bottom, and Sam looked at a small dial, tapping the glass.

"Nothin." He said and she groaned.

"It's a damn fuse." She almost growled, sliding out and getting up. "Drag my ass all the way out here in the freakin snow for a damn fuse." She marched to the shelves next to Rick and Shane and dug through till she found a box. She opened it and grabbed a small metal fuse out of it and took her place back under the machine quickly. "Ok, now?"

Sam grinned as he checked the dial. "You got it."

She slid out from under it again and wiped some dirt from her cheek. "Damn straight." Sam chuckled and grabbed her hand, pulling her up.

"We're done. Let's get back." She said, re-gloving her hands and going to Ian by the door. The others followed and they started the walk back tot he house.

"It's melting. It'll be gone in a week if it doesn't snow again." Dean said from behind her.

"We can hope." Trouble said, gritting her teeth. They were almost to the house, and she frowned, anxious to get inside.

"It stayed warmer longer this year." Rick said, remembering the awful heat of summer. This was dangerous, but it felt amazing.

The gate slid back and Sam came up behind Trouble as they filed in. "When did you fix the vent unit? I went to get it this week and it was gone."

She stopped and stripped her dirty jacket off. "A while ago."

"Thanks." He said, and she smiled, her eyes flicking over to Rick. He had heard the exchange and he was focusing on his weapon in his hands, securing it to his hip. She didn't see Dean come up behind her and she squealed when he swept her up in his arms, holding her tightly.

"Have you lost your mind?" She blurted and he laughed loudly.

"I get to go shower, in hot water! And it's all because of you, you beautiful thing." He said, smacking her cheek loudly with his lips. He actually carried her into the elevator Ian had opened for them. She slapped at him till he put her down and they started moving down.

"I'd give it an hour to warm back up, but you're welcome." She said as he let go of her.

"Because, you know, I didn't help at all." Sam said dryly from behind him, and Dean turned, clapping him on the back.

"Yeah, well, I'm not kissin you, man." He said and the rest of them started to laugh. When the doors opened, they all rushed their rooms, leaving Trouble and Rick standing in the common room alone, still smiling at them.

"They're all about to get cold showers. I hope they're happy." She said, grinning, and he followed as she went to the control room. They took their extra weapons off and unloaded them, hanging them on the wall. "Thanks, Hershel." She said and the old man nodded. "I'm going to change. I'm soaking wet."

She changed quickly, pulling on a dry pair of yoga pants and a lycra tank that only fell to the bottom of her ribs. She brushed her hair out, getting rid of the tangles and braiding it quickly over shoulder. She left her room in search of food and found Rick in the hallway. If he thought she missed the slight blush and his eyes going over her outfit, he was wrong, but she just chuckled to herself.

"I'm starving now, how about you?" She asked and he nodded, his trip to his room forgotten.

They got to the kitchen and she went straight for the freezer, pulling out boxes and bags. "What's your favorite food, Rick?" She asked, her arms full with packages.

He bit the inside of his cheek and thought about it. "I don't know, I like a good steak. Bacon cheeseburgers. Why? What's yours?"

"Japanese." She said, pulling a cooking sheet out from the cabinet. "Don't think I'll ever get it again, so I have to make do."

"Japanese? You mean like sushi?" Rick asked, watching her work. She moved quickly, putting a pot of water on and heating up a skillet. She turned back to the counter and began chopping raw chicken and veggies.

"God, I wish. I don't have that big a resume, but I can do this." She said, getting a skillet out. Within a few minutes she had rice on the boil, chicken and vegetables in the skillet, scenting the kitchen with an alluring smell that was drawing attention.

Dean poked his head in the door, his eyebrow raised. "Are you cooking?"

She looked up at him briefly, a grin spread across her face. "Yeah."

He came in and looked in the skillet. "Oh hell yes!" He said enthusiastically. "It's been forever since you did this."

"Yeah, well, we had Anna." She said quietly and both men turned their eyes to her. Dean frowned and put his arm around her, kissing her temple. She didn't stop what she was doing, but she did give him a small smile.

"I'm gonna tell Sam and Ian." He said, letting her go and leaving with a bounce in his step. Rick watched her get a package from the fridge and unwrap it. Inside were six large steaks, and his eyes got wide.

"Whoa." He said, and she laughed.

"Been a while for ya, huh?"

"Yeah. Since before all this started."

"Well, that is far too long for a red blooded american male to go without a steak, Rick." She said jokingly, turning on the grill on the side of the stove. When it heated up she laid the steaks on it, a hiss and sizzle sound filled the kitchen.

Rick sat and watched her cook, chatting a little here and there, but mostly just watching her work. She had that crazy focus she always had when she was trying to do something, and it tickled him to watch it. Eventually, though, she had him setting the table and carrying plates of food to the table. Dean had come back in and she had sent him off to get the rest of the house.

"What is all this?" Carol asked as she and the rest of downstairs came up and took their places at the table. Rick had helped by getting all the food to the table for her, and he grabbed a place next to Carl as Shane, Sam, Ian, and Dean came in. "I didn't know you cooked."

"She doesn't." Dean said, sitting down. "Man, this is freakin awesome."

"What is it, dad?" Carl asked, and Trouble looked down at him.

"It's japanese, Carl. I think you'll like it. See this? This is called domburi." She said, passing a large bowl of rice, chicken, and veggies down. "Will you try it?"

He nodded and Rick put some out on his plate. He took a bite and his eyes got wide. "It's good." He said, his mouth full, and Rick laughed.

"Ok, now this is peanut satay somen." She said, gesturing to another large platter. Rick gave him some of that too, the others listening as she talked and trying the new food. It was a hit around the table, and she grinned. Shane was ripping his plate up, and he grinned at her.

"And that is flank steak, with miso sauce." She finished and Rick went for that. It was delicious, and he was doubly impressed. He looked around the table, and saw the guys were cleaning their plates and going for more.

"What do you think, Glen? This accurate?" T-Dog said cheerfully and Glen took a bite bite.

"I'm Korean, but this is awesome." He said, his mouth full. T-Dog clapped his hands, laughing.

"Trouble, you can dance, shoot, _and _cook? When are you gonna marry me, girl?" T-Dog asked and the table burst out laughing.

"You'd end up eating this every night, man. It would get old." She quipped back and winked at him, and he took another big bite, chuckling.

Dinner didn't take long, and Trouble sat back and watched the last bowl go empty. Everyone sat back, full and happy. Dean was rubbing his belly like he was expecting a child, and she chuckled, taking a sip of her soda.

Carol headed up the cleaning party since Trouble had cooked, and Shane came around the table to her. She looked up at him warily. "You're not going to throw me over your shoulder again, are you? Because I'm really full. It wouldn't be a good idea."

He smiled, looking as the others began to leave the room. "No, I just wanted to show you something."

She flicked her eyebrows up and stood up, following him to a freezer across from the kitchen. He opened it and she stepped in, watching her breath freeze in the air.

"Look what I found. For tonight." He said, and opened a box. Inside were six bottles of very expensive champagne.

"Hey, I forgot we had that." She said, delighted. "That's very cool."

He looked pleased. "I thought you'd like that. I found it when I was putting the deer meat away."

"Kick ass, Shane." She grinned and let herself back out into the hallway. He followed and shut the door with a loud click. They walked to the common room where everyone had gathered, and Ian scooted over to give her some room. She took it and grabbed a beer Dean passed her way.

"Well, I'm gonna explode, but it was totally worth it." He said, sitting back and patting his stomach.

"Oh yeah." T-Dog said happily.

"Dad, can I stay up till midnight?" Carl asked and Rick tipped his head to the side.

"You're gonna be tired, buddy. It's a while away still." He answered.

Carl jumped a couple times. "Come on, dad. I'm old enough. I'm not tired at all."

"Ok, well, let's see how it goes, huh?" Rick said, and Carl nodded, not quite convinced. Trouble grinned at him and he came to stand next to her, his arm on the arm of the sofa next to her. "Tell dad I'm old enough to stay up." He said in a low voice. "He'll listen to you."

"I might not be able to. What if _I'm_ asleep by midnight?" She said, concern in her voice. Rick grinned into his hand and watched them.

"Then I'll go to bed, too. I only wanted to stay up so I could kiss you." He said innocently, and she almost dropped her soda can. Everyone turned to look at Carl, eyes wide.

"Carl, where'd you hear that?" Shane asked, clearly amused at her discomfort.

"I saw it on tv. The big ball falls and people start kissing. And I got up last time and I saw Mom and Dad and they were kissing after the ball dropped." He answered like it was the most natural thing in the world but Rick turned four shades of red.

"Well, Carl, there's no ball gonna be dropped. Not anymore." Rick said and Carl frowned.

"So, there's no more kissing?" He asked, concerned.

"Maybe not for a while." Rick said, trying to let him down gently. He had suspected his son was getting a little crush on Trouble, and he was trying desperately to get her out of the mess she'd found herself in.

"Oh. Well, I guess I don't really want to stay up then." Carl said and Trouble stuck out her bottom lip, sad for the boy. It really was cute, and he was so sweet.

"It's getting late now, Carl. Why don't we head on down?" Carol said and Carl nodded.

"Hey Carl?" Trouble said and the boy turned around to look at her. "Maybe there's no big ball, but I'll take a New Year's hug anyway if you want."

He grinned and stepped toward her, putting his skinny arms around her neck. She smiled at Rick over his shoulder, and when he pulled back she gave him a little kiss on the cheek. "Happy New Year's Carl."

He beamed and looked at his dad. "Wow." He said and Rick started laughing. He gave his son a 'good for you' wink and the boy left with Carol. Hershel followed them, and Ian, Sam and Dean burst out laughing.

"You got yourself a boyfriend." Dean said and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I felt so bad. Poor kid." She said.

"Don't feel bad for him, you just made his night. Maybe his week." Rick said, grinning. She laughed, shaking her head.

"Alright, well, midnight is only four hours away." Dean said, getting up and going to the cabinet. He pulled out a couple bottles and grinned at the group. "Let's get this started." He brought the bottles back and started lining up shots all around, including Rick.

"You don't have to." She said to Rick softly as they scooted forward.

"It'll be ok. Special occasion and all." He said, smiling and she nodded. He hadn't touched the stuff since her talk with him. It was good to see him cut loose. The room gathered close and everyone grabbed a shot glass. Dean held his up and they did the same.

"To good friends, good food, and- god willing- a better fuckin year than the last one." Dean said and a round of 'Here! Here!" went around the room and they all shot the liquor back.

T-Dog hissed and took a deep breath in at the burning sensation. "Well, 'less the world explodes, I think we can assume it's gonna be better."

"Can't assume anything, you know that." Shane said, putting his shot glass down.

"Right. I forgot. Doom and Gloom Shane has to make an appearance or else it's not a party." T-dog grinned and Shane did a fake jump at him. They laughed and Dean refilled all the glasses. Trouble grabbed the remote from the table and turned on 3 Oh! 3, and T-dog started to groove, taking his second shot with the rest of them.

"Whew!" Glen blurted, his face puckered up from the strong alcohol. "Man."

"Don't be a girl." Ian said and Andrea, Maggie and Trouble looked at him with deadly glares. "I really didn't mean that. Don't kill me in my sleep, please."

"You know I can drink you under the table." Trouble said, grabbing the bottle and refilling all their glasses. They had almost finished the bottle in three rounds there were so many of them. "But I'm confident in my abilities. You may live another day."

They all threw back the shots and Shane slammed his down on the table. "Goddamn!" He said and grinned. Dean and Sam laughed, even Rick chuckled. The alcohol was taking a quick effect, and he had a warmth going through his chest and out his arms. He looked over at Trouble nearby, her gray tee riding up a little on her flat stomach and her short shorts showing a long leg. He pressed his lips together and tried not to stare. He saw he was doing a better job than Shane. Ian had put his arm over the back of the couch behind her and was looking very self satisfied with himself, and Shane shot him a few dirty looks that Rick could see.

Dean filled the glasses again, and midnight came fast for all of them. They talked and joked, laughed and Sam and Dean even ended up wrestling their way out to the middle of the floor. When midnight neared, Trouble was in a pleasant haze. She had danced her ass off and she'd collapsed into a heap on the couch, smoking cigarettes with Ian.

"Hey, it's four minutes to midnight!" T-Dog called out and everyone sent out a shout, Maggie scrambling to be near a very drunk Glen. The music went up and Trouble crushed her cigarette out.

"Get over here! Everybody!" She yelled and filled all the shot glasses. Everyone grabbed one and held it up in the air. They all turned and watched the clock, and when it turned to 12:00 they all downed their shots. Ian grabbed her and planted a kiss on her lips, holding it for a minute. He pulled back and she stood up to accept a hug from T-Dog and a kiss on her cheek. Andrea and Sam kissed, and Maggie and Glen permanently attached themselves to each other. Dean hugged her and kissed her forehead, and Shane stood behind him. He picked her up and hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek, and when he put her down she laughed, punching him lightly in his arm.

"Oh my God, the champagne!" She said quickly, and they both turned and went to the walk in quickly. She stepped ahead of him and grabbed two bottles. When she turned around he was right behind her, and she looked up just as he leaned in and kissed her, not pushing too much but firmly. He brought his hand up to hold her cheek, and held the kiss for a few moments. Involuntarily, she closed her eyes and didn't pull back. He was so big, warm and strong that she just kind of... fell into it.

When he pulled back, she opened her eyes slowly and looked up at him. "Just a New Year's kiss, don't worry. I'm not going to push it." He said softly and she swallowed hard.

"We better get back." She breathed out and he nodded, grinning. The alcohol in both of them making everything seem like a dream. He was cheerful when he popped the cork of the first bottle, and she shared a glass, knowing it would look strange if she didn't, but she was counting the seconds until she could get away.

When Shane's eyes met hers the second time, she left the circle quickly, stepping back to avoid the shuffling and hugging, the pushing and tugging everyone seemed to do. She looked and saw Rick still sitting in his chair, smiling at the happy group. He looked over at her and smiled, giving her a peaceful little nod. Something about it made her really sad, and the alcohol suddenly felt claustrophobic in her system, oppressive to her brain functions.

"You're not staying?" Ian asked, watching her back up.

"I'm exhausted and more than a little drunk." She said, hugging him tightly. "I'll see you in the morning, ok?"

Rick watched her excuse herself from the group and walk away down the hallway and he yawned, trying to focus his drunken eyes. He tipped his head to Shane, who had sat back down with a bottle and was drinking right from it, and followed her. He walked past her door and saw she'd left it open, and he paused. He saw her at her dresser, looking at something in her hand, and he knocked lightly on her door frame.

She looked up quickly to see Rick there, and she put down Anna's brooch and smiled at him. "You're not staying and partying with the animals?" She asked and he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Call me old, but no. I'm spent." He said, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

"Then I must be old, too." She answered lightly, going to her bureau and taking out a long tee shirt. She turned back to him, coming to the door and leaning against the knob.

He looked like he wanted to stay, like he'd do anything to be able to just step in and close the door behind him, but a crash from the common room snapped him to. He nodded. "Goodnight."

"Night." She said and he stepped away. She smiled and shut the door, leaning against it and putting her fingers on her lips, still feeling Shane there. She changed into the tee, falling into her bed and pulling the covers over her. She reached up and turned the light off and drifted away easily, the alcohol in her system already getting her mostly there.


	30. Hey sweetheart

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

The next morning came whether she wanted it to or not. And the next. And the next, till one morning she woke up, went and looked at the monitors and saw the snow had faded to a thin sheet on the ground. She grinned and sat back, stretching. She'd been so focused on trying to normalize her life down here with these people. The kiss from Shane, was heavy on her mind. She'd been trashed, and she had- yet again- led Shane to think that their time together could turn into something more again.

Living underground, away from the threat outside, had made her think that somehow, there was time to spend on things like love, sex, life. In reality, it was pain, survival and loss. Losing Cass, Anna, Warren, those things had affected them here like it never would have if they were out on the road. She needed to remember her time out there, coming from Ohio after the outbreak. She needed to focus on that, because that was what was real. Here, it was just an episode of Days Of Our Lives.

She needed to get out. See the sun, hunt, drive. Do the things that made life worth living. It was 8 am, people would be getting up now, but she had no desire to see them. She went back to her room and changed into a white sweater and jeans, pulled on her thick boots and grabbed a white jacket from the closet, and headed to the roof.

The sun was glinting off the remaining crystals of snow on the ground, but dark muddy patches of ground shown through everywhere. If there was a walker now they would see it for sure, and the thought comforted her greatly. She grabbed a pair of binoculars and looked over the landscape, feeling the warm sun cut through the slight but still cold wind. The silence and the sun were so good after the time inside that she grabbed a seat on a vent unit and laid back, enjoying it immensely.

She was startled when she heard the gunshot, and she sat up so fast she almost dropped the binoculars. She raised them to her eyes and looked toward the small town and street beyond the trees. She saw the glinting of sunlight off a moving vehicle for just a second through the trees. It was headed toward the gap and she groaned, knowing they would see the signs and turn back.

She grabbed the walkie she had brought and pressed the button. "Anybody down there? Please respond." She waited. Nothing. "Jesus, people." She cursed and tried again. When she didn't get a response this time she went for the access panel. She got downstairs as fast as she could, seeing Dean and Shane on the couches.

"There are people on the street." She said, moving quickly to the control room and they followed.

"How many?" Shane asked as they entered the room. She was at the back wall loading a could rifles with rounds.

"Don't know, but they're headed for the gap." She said, rushing back to the desk. She hit a button on the speaker and spoke. "I need everybody up here, we're going out."

Dean and Shane snapped to attention, and Dean began to pull on his face mask, his fatigues, and they both armed themselves to the teeth. Everyone remembered Cass' words- the people are who you have to worry about now. T-Dog, Ian, and Sam rushed the room for information, and she was telling them as Rick came in.

"The mines are mostly used up, though." T-Dog said.

"They won't know that." Sam said, pulling on his mask.

"So what's the plan? We're bringing them in if they come back?" Ian asked and she shook her head.

"We won't know, Ian. But I don't think so. We're crowded as it is." She said. "Everybody ready?"

They left Ian on monitors and went up the elevator. Ian slid the gate back for them, and they got in two of the vehicles and headed up to the gate.

"Stay hidden, park on either side of the gate so they can't see it, stay hidden." She said as they parked, and when they got out she looked over all of them. "Think defense, not rescue."

They listened and got down, some on either side of the gate, hidden by the wall. They huddled there, Shane and Rick close on either side of her. She looked over at Rick, then at Shane when they heard the engines on the road come back into earshot. She let out a soft groan when she heard the crunch of gravel. They had found their small road. The cars got up to the gate and stopped, and they heard the slam of car doors.

"What is this place?" A male voice, dark and rough. She gripped her gun tightly, her lips pressed so tightly together they hurt.

"I don't know but you don't put up a gate like this for nothin." Another male voice and Trouble moved forward a little, pressing her back flat against the wall. She felt Rick's arm against hers and she tried to take comfort in that.

"The lock is good. I don't got anything to bust it with." The first voice said.

"Shoot it." The second voice said and Trouble put her head down in frustration. They were going to bust her gate open and draw walkers if there were any. Perfect.

"Ok, well, stand back, then." The first voice said.

"Let's go." She heard Rick whisper, and she stood quickly, Shane and Rick by her side, their guns ready. She raised her gun and pointed it at a man who was currently aiming a sawed off shotgun at the gate lock. With her free hand she made a slight gesture, telling Ian, Sam, and Dean to stay put.

"Don't do that." She said and they both froze, staring at her with surprise on their faces. She was sure they looked different to them. They were clean, her blond hair falling in waves over her slender shoulders, their clothes pristine next to their dirty, mud streaked ones. The man aiming his gun lowered it, and she took a moment to look at his worn, creased face. He was older, maybe 45, with gray streaked hair and a shaggy beard. The second man was younger, maybe 30 and huge. He was tall, his black hair almost blue in the sunshine. His face was handsome, but seemed cruel somehow.

"Well, hey there Princess." The second man stepped forward, ignoring Rick and Shane just in front of her. "Glad to see other people. 'Specially when they look like you."

"Well, we're not up to receiving visitors today. Why don't you both just turn around and drive away?" She said coldly. There was something about these guys she didn't trust.

"Can't do that. There's landmines down the road a ways. But I bet you know somethin about that." He said, leaning lazily on the gate next to the first, older man. They were both staring at her like she was a prize hog at the fair, and his eyes kept drifting up and down her body.

"They're used up. You can pass now." Shane said, his voice deep and threatening.

"Looks like you're getting along real nice, good place here. That's all we were lookin' for." He said, his eyes finally sizing up Rick and Shane, who were aiming at him, silent and deadly. "Who're your friends?"

"You don't listen real well, do you? I said, turn around and drive away. There's nothing for you here." She said, noticing he was drifting toward her sidearm. She moved like a flash and grabbed the second gun on her opposing hip, aiming one at each of the men. She heard Dean suck a breath in and prayed they hadn't.

"Why are you being like that? We're real friendly." He said, holding up his hands, eyeballing the six guns aimed at him and his friend. He spoke with a deep southern accent and she almost rolled her eyes. Two fuckin, dumbass rednecks.

"I bet. Don't reach for it again." She said, her eyes firmly on him.

"I'm Rex, that there is Barney. Why don't you unlock the gate and we can talk about it. Away from the walkers. There are a few out here." He said, leaning casually again.

"Can't do that, Rex. Tell your friend to drop the rifle."

"Come on, what's your name Princess?" He asked lewdly, his eyes flicking over to Shane for a brief second. "We can be real good friends. Maybe you could use a real man for a change, huh?"

"Yeah, Rex." Barney laughed, looking back at his buddy. "Maybe both of us."

"Would you like that, pretty girl?" Rex grinned. "Come on, unlock the gate."

She narrowed her eyes dangerously at Rex. The two of them, so cocky. There had to be more. She decided to play along, as disgusting as it was. She needed to know. "Is it just the two of you?"

"That depends. Is it just you three?" He answered her question with a question.

"Do you see anybody else?" Rick finally spoke, and she saw his face drawn and tense out the corner of her eye.

"Doesn't much comfort me. I bet you got a couple more guys back there somewhere."

She frowned and Rick and Shane moved up a little more. Their faces were almost blank with fury at the vile comments the men were making. "I guarantee you, we don't need anybody else to take care of you." Rick said.

"Big fellas you got there, Princess." Rex flared his nostrils in disgust. "She takin care of both of you? I bet she does real good."

"Shut your mouth." Shane said, his eyes narrowed and vicious.

"Didn't mean to offend you, man." Rex said, holding up his hands. "You boys wanna corral your girl? I'm feelin' a little exposed here, all these guns on me."

"You got one more chance to drop it, now, or they're gonna Ji-had your asses. Don't think for a moment they won't." She said, turning her attention back to the older man. He frowned, looking at her dead aim at his forehead. He faltered a little, licking his chapped lips and aiming the rifle at the ground.

Rex shook his head, giving them an apologetic smile. "See, you're bein unreasonable and we're getting antsy out here. You don't open this gate we're gonna have to do it for you. And I don't think I'll be near as sweet when I get hold of that ass a' yours." He turned his attention back to her at that last bit, and Shane let out a low growl.

"Is that right?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. She turned her face a little toward Shane. "Hey Shane?"

"Yeah?" He responded, his attention never wavering.

"You still got that rope in your truck? I'm thinking if our new pals here go for the gate again we should tie 'em up, leave 'em for the walkers, instead of wasting our bullets."

"Sounds real good." Shane said, low, dangerously.

Rex looked at them for a minute before he started to chuckle. In a blur of motion, he reached for his gun suddenly and she pulled her trigger automatically, sending him flying back against the car they had been in. Barney raised his shotgun and she and Shane fired together, dropping him where he stood in an explosion of blood from his chest. She glanced up at Shane just as Rex lifted back up, coughing blood from his mouth. She looked back at him and raised her gun again as he did. She felt the burning, searing pain in her side before she heard the shot, but her mind stayed on point and she fired twice more, Shane and Rick matching her bullets with their own, and suddenly the yard was alive with shouts and yelling. She fell to her knees and felt arms surrounding her, but she ignored them and dropped one of her guns, putting her hand to her side. She pulled it back and saw her hand was covered with bright red blood, and she put it back, pushing on it hard and wincing. It hurt, but her adrenaline was too far up to pay much mind.

"Trouble! Oh my god." She heard Rick and Dean, Sam and Shane and T-Dog huddled around her.

"Get her inside!" Someone shouted and she pulled away from the hands.

"Redneck couldn't shoot. I'm fine." She said harshly, pain clouding her thoughts and making her snap.

"You're shot, Trouble. We gotta get you inside."

"Fuckin asshole!" Dean cursed loudly as they helped her to her feet. Shane tried to pick her up but she pushed him away.

"I can walk, Shane." She protested and turned, moving slowly back to the cars, Rick's hand on top of hers, and she saw her blood seeping through his fingers and making a large red stain on her white clothes. They were almost to the Jeep when they heard the sounds of other engines, and the crunch of gravel. Rick grabbed her and almost lifted her up as he whipped her around to the other side of the vehicle and out of the further line of fire. He huddled around her protectively, Shane in front of them with his back to them, everyone with their guns drawn and ready to fire.

"Rex! Aw, man!" They could see another truck pulling up and a man in heavy flannel hopped out of the back and ran to Rex on the ground. The driver and two more men came from the vehicle, and aimed their guns at the gate, searching for the people who had killed the men.

"Get out here! Show yourselves!" The driver, a stock man in his thirties with a scarred face and a mean expression shouted and she felt Rick tense around her. She looked back down, her left hand still pressed against her wounded side, her right hand firmly grasped on her gun. She looked over at Dean and Sam, looking at her from behind their car, and she shook her head quickly.

"Call out, Rick. Warn them to leave now." She whispered, looking back at Rick, her eyes full of pain, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, putting his hand over hers on the wound.

"Your men fired on us! If you go away now, you'll live!" Rick almost barked the words out and the men jumped, their guns going toward his voice.

"You killed my brother, man. I ain't goin nowhere." The driver said, his finger on the trigger.

"I'm sorry about that. But don't have a choice unless you wanna end up like him." Rick answered and the man sneered. He didn't take his eyes off the spot he thought they were, but he spoke to another man behind him. "Get in the truck, Barry. We'll drive through his goddamn gate."

"You sure Bubba?" The man he spoke to looked skittish, afraid at being so exposed.

"I'm sure. Get your ass in the truck." He bit back. "You in for it now, man!"

"Not this again. These guys are one trick ponies, man." Shane groaned and started to move forward into their line of sight, but she hissed.

"Shane, stop! Look." She said and he crouched back down in front of her. She heard Rick gasp slightly as they watched the man turn and start to get back in the truck. None of them noticed that Rex had sat up, his eyes milky white and his expression blank. He was a walker.

"Take him out." Rick said.

"No." She said firmly and looked over and Sam and Dean, shaking her head. Rick looked down at her, surprised.

"He's a walker."

"And we'll kill him. After he takes care of our problem." She hissed, pain racking her body.

The man was almost to the truck, when the Rex-walker dove forward and grabbed his leg, tearing a huge chunk of flesh off through his jeans. He screamed frantically and the other men turned around. Bubba yelled, grabbing his brother by the shoulder and pulling him back and away from the bitten man. The Rex-walker turned and snapped at him, and Bubba backed up, right into Barney, who had just lifted his head from the ground. Bubba was so focused on the screaming man, now in a heap on the ground with Rex-walker on top of him, that he didn't see Barney until it was too late. One of the other men raised his gun and fired at Barney, hitting him in the already mangled chest. He staggered back but was at Bubba again in mere seconds, grabbing his arm and tearing at the flesh there. He screamed, his cries joining the other man's rapidly fading ones.

"Now!" Trouble yelled and Sam and Dean, T-Dog, Rick, and Shane stood, firing at the disoriented group of men. Within minutes the screams had quieted, and Trouble let out a shaky breath, holstering her weapon and sliding down the side of the Jeep. She heard the guys voices as they ensured the men were really down, and she heard two more gunshots, presumably to put down the Rex and Barney walkers. She looked down and saw the red stain beneath her fingers had now spread, covering her entire torso. She let her side go for a moment, long enough to rip the torn and bloody jacket off and throw it aside. She saw a neat bullet hole in her side, just to the right of her ribcage. It had missed its mark, and she would be fine, as long as the now almost blinding pain would stop. The guys rushed back to her side as she put her hand back over it to stem the blood.

"Trouble? Baby, you ok?" Shane said frantically as he and the others crouched around her. She breathed as deeply as she could, looking around at their wide eyes.

"Redneck couldn't shoot worth shit." She said, attempting a smile. "I'll be fine."

"We gotta get you inside." Rick said, reaching for her, but she put her hand on his, looking up.

"You gotta shoot them all in the head." She said and T-Dog stood. He and Sam went back quickly as Rick and Shane helped her up. She heard their gunshots as they hustled them to the Jeep and Shane sat in the passenger seat, pulling her up on his lap, and she didn't have the strength or will to protest as Rick got in the drivers seat and slid in the mud as he skidded away toward the house. Shane held her tightly and she let her forehead rest against his prickly cheek. He was whispering something but she couldn't make it out, fireworks across her eyelids when she blinked. They got to the house and he picked her up and carried her to the gate, and she heard the second vehicle stop as they ducked into the dim and shady lobby.

They sat in a tense circle in the common room as Hershel and Maggie tended to Trouble. Shane and Ian paced like caged tigers, Sam and Dean sat on the couch and twitched nervously, knees and heads bobbing until they could find out if she was ok. Rick sat, defeated on the chair, thinking of how effectively she had planned, taking out the men with their own. She was cunning, smart, and it startled him to know she could be so cold, but that was how she'd survived. How awful it must have been for her to be able to allow such things.

"I was gonna kill them. The shit they were saying to her..." Shane said.

"I don't think we could have changed it. They were going to do it no matter what." Dean said, his voice heavy and worried.

Rick looked up at him frowning. "We let the walkers attack them. That might not be easy for her to get past."

"What?" Sam asked, confused.

"It's a big thing, killing a person. She's going to have to deal with that, no matter what they did." Rick said. He remembered the bar, with Hershel, when he had to kill the two men who wanted to come back to the farm. It stayed with you.

"That wasn't the first guy she's killed, you know that." Sam said, looking at Rick like he was crazy, and Rick, T-Dog and Shane looked at him in shock. Sam sighed. "You really think they were the first? We've been attacked before, out on the road. And that time, she didn't have walkers to do the job for her. So don't worry about her on that."

"She knows what it takes to survive. That's why the four of us are still here." Dean said, frowning and looking up at the men. They all sat down then, lost in thought, only jumping up when Hershel came in.

He was wiping his hands on a towel, his face serious. "She had a guardian angel, young men. She'll be fine. The bullet went in and out, like she said. But two more inches to the left and we'd be having a very different discussion."

Dean sat back down hard, his relieved expression almost pained. "Thank God."

"Can we see her?" Rick asked, taking a step forward.

"I gave her morphine for the pain, and Maggie is getting her cleaned up." Hershel said, putting his sleeves down. "If she's still awake afterward, then yes. But let her rest, ok?"

They nodded, and Shane went back to pacing with Ian. Ian hadn't really spoken, his face angry and his movement jerky and tense. Now, it was just a waiting game.

Trouble awoke to a dull throb in her body, and when she moved her arms to adjust her awkward position against her pillows it exploded into a firestorm of sharp knives in her side. She let out a groan and froze, and when she moved again she did so slowly and deliberately till she was sitting more up in the bed. Her room was dark, empty and quiet, and she stared out into the darkness, thinking about what had happened. Those dumb rednecks had forced her hand. She'd never just let a walker eat someone on purpose, but they were going to come into her home, kill her family and friends. Do worse to her, to Maggie, Andrea, and Carol. She knew the type. She'd dealt with them before. Cass had been right. Don't trust anybody.

She sat slowly up, and reached for her lamp, her left hand on the bandage Hershel had put on her. She flicked it on and looked down at the clean white tee shirt Maggie had put on her. She saw a bottle of pills and a glass of water. She took some of them and swallowed, then tested out her breathing. She could breath deeply, and that was good, but it caused a spark in her side that was startling. Fuckin rednecks, she thought for a millionth time, slowly swinging her legs over the side of the bed, glancing at the clock. 6 pm. She'd been asleep for hours.

She stood up and made her way to the bathroom. Her mouth was dry and tasted bad, and she brushed her teeth, leaning against the counter. Figures this would happen when the snow melted and she could go back out again. As good a fighter as she was she had to admit this getting hurt thing was getting old. Happened way too much. .

It hurt, but she lifted her arms and put her loose hair in a messy bun. She slipped back out into her room and put a pair of shorts on, taking the baggy shirt off and looking at the bandages Hershel had done. There was a patch on her front and she could feel another one on her back. Grabbing a soft white tank instead, she put it on and left the room, intent on finding food. She was starving.

The common room was quiet, and she didn't expect to see all the guys there when she walked in. Their heads snapped up and Ian came flying off the couch, almost dropping his glass of whiskey in the process. The others stood and watched, their faces intense and staring as he got to her side.

He grabbed her hand and got close to her side, careful not to hurt her. "You're up. You shouldn't be out of bed. How do you feel?"

"I'm ok, Ian." She assured him, looking back at the guys. "Were there more after the truck? No one else came, did they?"

"No. We brought the truck in, threw the bodies in a ditch by the street. Covered them over so no one would know they were." Dean said quickly.

"Good. They stopped because of the landmine signs. We need to figure a way to block both sides of the road, so they stop before they're even here."

"We'll do it tomorrow." Sam said, nodding.

"Sounds good. I'm starving. You guys eat yet?" She asked, turning and going to the kitchen. The medicine was kicking in on her empty stomach and she was moving easier.

"Sit down, I'll make something." Rick said, taking charge. Shane and Dean grabbed seats next to her at the counter and she watched him and Ian gather sandwich things from the fridge and sit them out on the counter. She didn't stop Rick when he started making her a roast beef sandwich, just the way she liked it. He pushed it across the counter and she took a big bite, nodding at him appreciatively.

"So, some of the first people we've seen. You think it'll happen again?" She asked between bites, throwing the question out there. Rick leaned on his elbows on the counter and frowned.

"I've seen it happen. Shane?" He said, looking over at the man.

Shane flicked his eyebrows up, putting the other piece of his bread on his own sandwich. "I think we aren't just fightin' the walkers for space anymore. So, yeah." He frowned and took a bite.

"They can't get in here though." Dean said, his mouth full.

"We did." She said, and he looked over at him and he paused in his chewing for a minute. "And it could stop us from being able to go out. I particularly want to be trapped, I don't know about you."

Rick bit his cheek, thinking. "So, we reinforce the gate, put traps on the roads."

"That's what I was thinking." She said, finishing the first half of her food. "Any ideas?"

Sam had come to the door with T-Dog to listen. "We can put cameras up and down the road first. We won't be surprised. I can rig sensors on them for movement."

"And if walkers come by we'll know it too." T-Dog said.

"It's gonna be a pain in the ass. Thing's gonna be going off all the time." Shane said and she shrugged.

"I guess we'll have to put up with it, if it means we have an early warning system. We'll trade off." She said and he nodded. "And if something does come down the road, get to the gate? How do we stop it and still keep an exit for ourselves?"

"Landmines aren't an option this time." Ian said, flashing his eyes, and she grinned.

"No."

They all sat quietly, thinking and eating. Sam grabbed the bread and started making his own dinner. Dean furrowed his eyebrows, looking up. "What if we put spikes on the ground, just under the gravel? We can put a sensor on it so they snap up."

She shook her head. "Dumb ass rednecks left us a nice truck. We shouldn't destroy anything we can use."

"That isn't all they left." Sam said, grinning, and Dean hissed at him. She looked at the two of them, confused.

"What? You mean the guns?" She said and Dean answered far too quickly.

"Yeah, the guns."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What aren't you telling me?"

"It's a surprise. When you're not bleeding, we'll tell you." Sam said, his eyes on her tank top. She looked down and saw a small spot of blood on the front of her shirt.

"Oh hell." She said dryly.

Rick looked at her, concern in his voice. "Let's check you out while they're thinking of an answer." He stepped forward and put his hand out for her, and she looked back at the guys around the counter. "You guys stay. I'll be back in a minute and I want ideas. You got big brains, I know you do." She took Rick's hand and got up slowly, letting him lead her from the kitchen and to her room.

"So, this is what getting shot feels like. It's _so_ much fun." She said sarcastically as he helped her to her bathroom.

"Yeah, I remember. But I had a coma to recover and it still hurt like hell. I don't know how you're standing up." He said, getting supplies from her counter where Maggie must have left them. She leaned against the counter, her hand on the blood stain and her face set stonily. "Here," He said and put his hands under her arms, lifting her up gently so she was sitting on the sink counter.

"Thanks." She said, lifting her shirt up to right under her bra, exposing her torso. "I have the amazing Hershel and his industrial painkillers. Could be worse."

"I'll have to keep that in mind." He said and she grinned, watching him peel the bandage away gently.

"Aw, Rick. Don't look so sad." She joked and his eyes flicked up to hers momentarily.

"You got shot, Trouble. I'm not gonna dance." He said flatly and her smile faded.

"Are you angry?"

"Hell yes. Those morons could have killed you! And the things they said before..." He trailed off and his face got a little red. She put her hand on his shoulder and he hesitated a moment before he put a clean square of gauze on the hole in her flesh.

"You think that's the first time I've ever had a dumb guy say crude things to me?" She said simply.

He swallowed and pulled tape out, securing the bandage tightly. "Carl adores you. What would he do if I didn't bring you back?"

"I'll heal, and I'll try to stay out of the line of fire next time." She said, running her fingers over the patch on her side. He leaned around behind her and saw the other one was in similar shape to the first.

"I'm glad." He said, getting a new patch ready.

She pulled her arm away to give him room to lean around behind her. She watched his face as he worked. He started to pull the other bandage away, but paused, putting his hands on either side of her legs on the counter and looked up into her face. "I spent so much time protecting the women in camp. I don't know what to do with you. You're like a firecracker."

She looked at him, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "I... It's what I've always done."

"And you're good at it. But you get hurt too. What happens when it too deep, or in the right place, and you don't come back?"

"We're fighting for our lives here, Rick. There is a certain amount of risk involved and you know that. I didn't sign up for this. I'd much rather be going to the movies and going to work and bitch slapping guys that grab my ass and talking on the phone, but that's not the world we live in anymore."

He put his head down for a moment. "I know. I just hate feeling like I can't protect you."

"Oh, don't do that. Please don't do that." She pushed him back wearily and shook her head, her eyes on the wall next to her. "You're sounding like Shane." She slid off the counter and started to tug her tank down and he grabbed her hands.

"I'm not done." He said.

"It'll be fine. Thank you." She tried to pull away but he held her tight.

He put both of her hands in one of his and stepped close to her so her face was almost against his neck. He reached around behind her and gently pulled the top back up, and he felt her let out a breath against him. He let go of her hands and put both arms around her, pulling off the bloody bandage. He silently reached for the clean one and applied it, but when he was done he didn't step back. She felt her breath catch in his throat when she turned her face up to him. He put one of his hand on her lower back, using the other to brush her cheek. Suddenly his mouth was on hers. It was sweet, heart wrenching, and she melted into his arms, her pain forgotten.

Ian. His face was the first thing that popped into her head when they broke contact. Then Shane. He knew the signs, saw the change in her face, and he stepped back, leaning against the wall, his hand over his mouth. "I know." He said simply, and she turned, looking into the mirror, her hands on the counter. She looked down and spoke.

"Rick, Ian means a lot to me. I don't want to hurt him. And you know Shane would never understand. He thinks we're going to get back together, and it would rip your relationship apart. Again. I can't be responsible for that."

"I know. I'm not asking for anything." He said, coming up behind her. He didn't have the energy to fight it. "We should get back. Do you want to change your shirt?"

"What's the point?" She asked, her face sad. "Let's go."

They guys were in the common room, Sam with a few sheets of paper at the coffee table, sketching things out. She took a seat in the chair slowly, and Rick went to the one across from her, and she was unable to read his expression but she couldn't worry about it now.

"Flares." Sam said cheerfully, grinning at her. "We put them here, here, here, and here, and set them to go off when we want."

She leaned forward and looked at his sketch of the front gate. He had positioned the flares in points past it along the gravel road. "Won't the rain ruin them?" She asked.

"Not if we aim them down, the wicks shouldn't get wet. Besides, they're made to go off in all weather."

She nodded. "It's a good distraction, and it's quiet. Good. What next?"

We build a barrier, something to hide behind facing the gate. Slots for the guns, we'll have visual but we'll be covered. If you had that with these last guys you wouldn't have gotten touched." Dean said, pointing to a place on the paper.

"Great. Next."

"With the sensors on the road and these things in place, it's a pretty good start." Shane said from the couch. "We start it tomorrow morning, and we can think of the rest as we go."

"Alright." She said, and Ian came and sat on the arm of her chair, watching over her shoulder. "I wish I could go out there with you."

"It's good you're on monitors. You'll be able to see everything, and we'll get the right camera angles." Ian said and she nodded, smiling a little.

"True." She said, looking back at him. "Now, you want to tell me what the rednecks brought that you wouldn't before?"

Ian opened his mouth, but Dean cut him off. "No, we don't. It would just really hurt right now, trust me, and you have to take it easy."

She looked back at him with her deadly glare and his eyes got wide. He grabbed Sam's paper and held it up between them. "Make her stop."

"Oh, but this is so much fun to watch." Ian said with a fake pout.

"Just show her, dude. She's had a rough day." Sam said, grinning.

"Yeah, I had a bitch of a day. Come on." She said, trying to look innocent.

"Fine. But slow. No more bleeding, huh?" Dean said, clearly disgruntled, and she smiled widely. They led her to the elevator, Shane on one side and Ian on the other, and when they doors to the elevator in the lobby opened she gasped.

It was a bike, well, two bikes, but they were gorgeous. She stepped forward, and Sam and Dean watched her excitedly. She ran her hand over the smooth metal of the first one and looked back at them with wide eyes. "It's a Honda VFR122F, with a 1237cc liquid cooled, fuel injected 76" V4 engine." She said breathlessly and they nodded, and even Ian looked impressed. "It's just like Victoria!" She squealed and Dean burst out laughing.

"I know! That's what I said when I saw it." He said.

Rick looked over at Sam. "Victoria?"

Sam grinned, looking at him, Shane and Ian before turning his attention back to the excited girl. She had gotten down carefully and she and Dean were inspecting the small engine and talking quickly. "Her bike, from before. We had to leave it when we ran and she was heartbroken."

"She rode?" Shane asked and Sam raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're surprised?"

"Not really."

"She's a speed demon, man. You should have figured that out by now." Sam said, walking away and showing her some things on the bike she might have missed. Ian, Rick and Shane stayed back and watched, all three enjoying the smile that was going from ear to ear on her face.

"Now, you gotta get better if you want it. I'm keeping the keys till then." Dean was saying and she looked at him, her lip stuck out.

"Can't I just hear it?" She asked and he chuckled.

"Yeah, I know that line. Then it's 'can't I just sit on it', and next thing you know I'm watching you ride away in the sunset. You think I don't know you?"

She frowned, disappointed. "Fine."

"Let's get downstairs. It's cold up here." Sam said and Rick hit the elevator button, smiling at her reaction. She got into it reluctantly, looking back at the bike wistfully, but the smile didn't leave her face the rest of the night.


	31. Fortifying and a dinner surprise

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Everyone woke early the next morning. Besides Sam. He'd stayed up all night getting the cameras ready to be posted on the road. Trouble couldn't sleep well, knowing they were going out there without her, and she's gotten up at 3:30 and gone to the control room. She'd found him there and grabbed a place at the desk to prepare the flares for them.

The others began to drift in at 6, and Dean had been the last at 7. They were standing by the elevator by 7:15, loaded up and ready to go.

"Please be careful." She'd said to Ian and he kissed her quickly.

"Don't worry. I'm way too pretty to get myself killed." He'd said with his grin and she'd smiled, and watched the doors to the elevator close. She went back to the control room as fast as she could and saw them approach the gate upstairs.

"See you guys soon. And in one piece." She said over the monitor and saw Dean wave as they emerged into the cloudy winter day. She flicked her eyes to the front gate and a minute later their vehicles pulled up to it and Sam hopped out, unlocking the gate for them. He secured it again and they disappeared down the road and out of sight. She let out a deep breath and sat back, her hand on her side. It was hurting a lot this morning, her lack of sleep and constant movement not helping at all. She grabbed a bottle she had brought with her and took a couple pills, swallowing them with her coffee. She lit a cigarette and watched the monitor at the gap, waiting.

It didn't take them long, but it seemed like an eternity. She saw them pull the cars up and stop, and they all got out quickly. T-Dog took down the sign closest to them and threw it in the back of a truck. Shane and Sam looked over the landmines used on the ground and she saw Sam point at one in the top right corner of the road. He turned and looked up at the camera, picking up the walkie and started back to the car and truck with the others.

"Base, we're leaving the opposing sign up and the remaining mines." She heard him call over and she frowned. "If somebody comes from that way they'll turn around and not come near the house."

"But what if someone comes from the other way?" She pressed the walkie base and spoke.

"After we finish with it, nothing's getting through. And if they still try they're gonna get what they deserve." He said simply and she raised her eyebrows. Whatever. She watched the vehicles pull back and leave her line of sight. They were going to the street on the other side of the house, and she settled in to wait.

She was getting antsy. It had been a while, and when the walkie base crackled to life again and almost knocked her coffee over reaching for it.

"Base, turn the top left monitor to the alternate feed." She heard Sam, and she flicked the switch he had prepared for her. The screen went dark, but then flickered again and she saw Sam's face taking up the whole screen. She grinned.

"Copy, Sam. We have visual."

"Ok, how's the angle?" He asked, stepping back and she could see the road. The others were making a barrier of sorts with the abandoned cars left on the highway, and had two levels done across the expanse of wall, from the cliff hill to the valley drop on the opposite side of the road. Good idea, she thought.

"Drop it a little bit, Sam." She said and she saw his hand reach up to the camera and he moved it down. "Perfect." She said and she saw his face again.

"I'll activate the sensors on the cams when I get back. I put a different alarm on them so we can tell the difference."

"Copy that. Good job." She answered, watching Ian drive a car to the end of the road over the cliff drop, against the road barrier there. He got out and shook his arms out disgustedly. Must have been a ripe one in that car, and she grinned. They moved quickly, and T-Dog grabbed the landmine warning sign and hung it so anyone coming up that way would see it. Nice touch, she thought.

They had five rows of cars blocking the roadway, pushing some into place like she saw Rick and Shane doing. They were finishing up when she saw Rick step back from the car he was working on and pull his sidearm. He aimed over the cars and she saw the flash of his muzzle. Shane and Dean stepped up next to him and did the same.

"Sam?" She pressed the walkie button and waiting, anxious. After a few minutes they lowered their weapons, and she bit her lip nervously.

She saw Sam step into view and put his walkie to his lips. "A few walkers, nothing to worry about."

She watched them leave her line of sight again and she frowned. More walkers so soon after the snow, can't be a good sign. The air went silent and she waited again.

"Base, you see the new monitor I put on the desk?" Sam called through several minutes later.

"Copy." She responded.

"Turn it on." He said and she pressed the button. It flickered to life and she saw his face again.

"Copy. We have visual." She answered and he dropped out of sight.

"How's the angle?" He called through and she saw the beginning of the road by the street. The others were out of the car looking up and down the road, watching for anything worth watching for.

"It's good." she said. He must have mounted it to a tree, and she looked at the image, impressed.

"Copy. We'll mount the flares and then we'll be back in."

"Got it." She said, watching them get back in their cars and reemerge on the screen just outside the front gate. Everyone but Sam grabbed tall planks of wood from the back of the truck and begin to pound them down in the ground on either side of the road. Sam came up behind Rick doing the first one, and when he was done he began securing the flares to the tops of them. It took longer than everything else, but when he was done he began running a wire between the left side flares, and he handed the wire off to Dean, who brought it to the gate and threw it through. Sam quickly had the other side done, and he brought it through the gate himself as the others got back in the cars and he unlocked the gate for them.

She could really breath again once she saw the gate snap locked behind them and they were back in the yard. She watched them pull back in front of the house and she slid the gate back for them and closed it again, waiting in her chair for Sam.

He walked in quickly a few minutes later, Dean and Rick behind him. He grabbed a laptop from a counter and leaned past her, clicking on the keyboard rapidly. She looked back at Rick and Dean.

"Looks like it went well. How many walkers were there?"

"Five. Coming up the hill. They might be able to get over the cars, but anybody with a vehicle is gonna have a hell of a time." Dean said, crossing his arms. "But I did find something worthwhile. Well, Rick came up with it."

She looked at Rick curiously. "Razor wire. There is a ton of it in that hardware store across the road. We can string it on the top of the wall, I think there should be enough. Concrete bolts too." He said and she tilted her head.

"That's great. We won't have to worry about anything coming over the wall anymore." She said, impressed.

"Got it." Sam said from behind her and they all turned their attention to him. "Ok, I switched the monitor feeds to the new monitor. If the movement sensor is triggered this monitor will go to it automatically. The alarm will be short beeps, and you turn it off the same way as the other one."

"Very nice." She said, looking up at him. "And the flares?"

"They're on a wire trigger. We'll have to be outside to set them off, but I think it'll work." Sam said, scratching his elbow and leaning back against the counter.

"Let's grab some food, and then we can build the barrier by the gate." Dean said, leaving the control room. Sam followed, but Rick hung back.

"I hate sitting here not being able to help." She said, looking back up at the new monitor, watching the front road.

"You're helping more than you know." Rick said, taking a seat on the edge of the desk.

"How?"

He shrugged. "Trust me."

She pursed her lips, a little frustrated with herself. This latest injury had taken her out of the game again. "Let me know when you guys are going back out." She smiled and touched his arm, standing and moving quickly past him and out the door. She needed to be away for a minute. It was her job to take care of things, and she couldn't do that sitting and watching. She ducked everyone and went into her room to think.

"Hey, you get Trouble?" Shane asked Rick when they were done with lunch. "We're ready to go back out."

Rick had been thinking of how she'd left so quickly earlier, and he was already concerned something was eating at her. He planned on talking to her after they got back, so he just shook his head at Shane.

"I think she was hurting pretty bad. Why don't we let her rest for a while."

Shane nodded, frowning. "Yeah, good idea. I'll get Glen to watch the monitors." Rick nodded and they headed back to the surface when the young man took his place at the desk.

"What are you doing, Glen?" Trouble came into the control room later, surprised at seeing the young man sitting at the desk. No one had come to get her, and she'd been so wrapped up in his own mind she hadn't noticed.

He pointed to the screen. "They're out there. Thought you were resting." His eyes flicked to her side.

She came up behind him to see the screen. She could see they had gotten really far, the barrier was up to their waists, and she could see them hammering and moving around it quickly.

She watched for a while, quiet. They were working so hard, they were going to be starving when they came in. Going back to the kitchen, she saw Carol washing the last of the dishes in the sink.

"Hey Carol." She said, going to the fridge to get a water.

"Hi." Carol looked up at her and smiled gently.

Trouble grinned. "Are you making dinner tonight?"

"I am, and hoping you'll all want to eat. You didn't want breakfast or lunch." Carol nodded, wiping her hands on a towel.

"What about steaks? Should go fast on the grill there, and the guys have been working really hard. I think they'd like it. I can help." Trouble reached up and twirled T-Dog's quarter and Shane's chain on her neck absently.

Carol waved her hand. "I wouldn't dream of it, you're hurt. I'll take care of it, don't worry. And you're right, they will like it."

Trouble grinned and nodded her thanks, and turned and went out to the common room. The tree had long ago been taken down, the decorations put away till next year. If there was a next year. She pushed the thought away and grabbed a bottle of scotch from the cabinet and put it on the table with several glasses. She turned the lights down slightly and put rock music on low, the heavy beat just noticeable and giving the room a very adult vibe. She went to the kitchen and sat the table for Carol. Carl came up with Maggie and helped her before Carol insisted she sit down and rest.

She found some paper in the cabinet and she and Carl sat at the kitchen table making paper planes. His face was lit up seeing her, spending time with her. He knew she'd been hurt but he didn't ask too many questions about it. She was grateful, it wasn't her place to tell the boy the ugly things that happen in this life. He'd find out about it soon enough, more than he already had.

The elevator doors opened and the smell of grilling meat hit the men's noses, Dean gave an audible grunt. Shane had planned on showering before he did anything, all of them did actually, but they drifted in a group to the kitchen door and looked in. Rick saw Trouble and Carl at the kitchen table folding paper. Carl was throwing the planes they were making and Trouble was laughing, showing him how to bend the tips to make it go further.

Maggie, Glen and Hershel were at the table and it was loaded with food, and Sam and Dean dove for their chairs. Carol smiled at Rick in the door with the others.

"Come in, I was just bringing the last to the table." She said and they all took their spots. Trouble looked up at them and put the paper left over under her plate to make room. Carl took his seat next to Rick and looked at him excitedly.

"Dad, can we throw my paper planes off the roof?"

Rick looked down at him, amused. "Well, it's awful high, but maybe, when it gets a little warmer." He looked over at Trouble, who was grinning into her plate as she put mashed potatoes on it. He smiled and reached for the peas nearby.

"This is awesome, Carol!" Sam said and she smiled.

"It was Trouble's idea. She knows how hard you guys have been working and wanted to do something special."

Ian looked over at her, steak on his fork as he dished it out. "Thank you." He said, leaning over and kissing her temple. She smiled at him, then at the table.

"Carol did the work, guys." She looked at Sam. "The camera angles look good, it's going to be a good early warning system. Who thought of putting the cars side to side like that across the road?"

"Shane and Rick." Dean said, his mouth full, and she looked at the two of them.

"I like it. Kinda surprised I never thought of it, actually." She said, and they grinned.

"But," Carol began, but faltered. "Never mind."

"What is it, Carol?" Rick looked at her encouragingly. He wanted her to have her own voice. Trouble and the others looked down at her and she blushed.

"I was just thinking, if those blocks had been there when we came, we wouldn't have found this place. We wouldn't be here now." She said and Trouble tilted her head to the side.

"True, but that's what we need now." She said, slightly confused.

"What if someone comes along that really needs help? With children?" She said, glancing over at Carl, and Trouble smiled. Carol really did have a good heart.

"Well, Carol, we put cameras on all points. If somebody does come along we'll know and see them before they see us. If it's a child, we can deal with that. But we stay safe and hidden until we know, that's the most important thing." Trouble explained.

"If somebody does come are you going to let them in?" Carl looked up from his plate at his dad.

"I don't know. I guess it depends on what they really want." Rick said, unsure how to answer him.

"I don't think you should." Carl stated and Rick frowned. The boy had drawn the attention of the whole group now.

"What makes you say that?" Rick asked.

Carl shrugged. "They'll try to hurt us. Like Trouble got hurt."

Trouble's mouth opened soundlessly. She hadn't spoken a word about it to Carl, not really, unless she was telling him she was ok. Surely Rick wouldn't have told him. "Carl, this was an accident." She said quickly, her face concerned.

Carl looked up at her. "That's not what Shane said. I heard him talking to my dad. He said you got shot."

Shane's head went down, his hand over his face. Rick coughed. "What else did you hear, Carl. It's ok, I'm not mad."

"That's pretty much it. Just that they were bad, wanted to get in here and you wouldn't let them." Carl said, looking from his father back to Trouble.

"Carl, not everybody out there is good now, nice, I mean." Rick began, but Carl cut him off.

"I know. I remember. You were gonna get rid of Randall before he ran off. I know this stuff. That's why I don't think you should let anybody in here. Ever."

Rick cleared his throat again, leaning in near Carl. "Carl, look, I know what you heard probably sounded a little strange, but I want you to forget all that. All you need to remember is that we're here, and we're gonna protect you and everyone in this house. You don't have to worry about anything, ok?"

"Ok, Dad."

Carol was clearly uncomfortable. "Carl, why don't we go get you washed up for bed, huh?" He nodded, putting his fork down. Rick kissed his head and they watched him leave the room with Carol, leaving the rest of the house there at the table looking at each other.

"What was he talking about?" Ian asked.

Rick put his elbows on the table, his fingers over his mouth. He remembered Carl in the door of the barn when he'd been drawing his gun on Randall, and Carl telling him to kill the man. He had become warped in his young ideas, but of course he did. Look at this world they're living in. "We ran into a group, when we lived on Hershel's farm. In town. They tried to kill us, come back to the farm and we had to stop them."

"Ok." Trouble said, confused as to why they seemed so upset. "And?"

Rick looked at her, encouraged by her tone. "One of them was injured and we ended up bringing him back with us. Randall."

Dean looked at him like he was crazy, and Sam met eyes with Trouble and Ian warily. "Why?"

"I don't know. It was... I guess we weren't used to killing humans. He was hurt, walker bait." He said and Trouble felt her heart do a mambo in her chest. The way he said that was like he disapproved, like he was disgusted by what had happened to Bubba and his boys. She stood up, her face still and unmoving.

"Hershel, sir. I don't mean to offend you, but could we please have a few moments?" She said, looking over to the old man.

"Of course. Maggie?" He said, standing. Maggie stood up with him, looking down at Glen. He nodded to her and they left, but he stayed behind. He'd been there, he should, he figured. When they left, she turned back to Rick. "Go on."

"I killed him." Shane said flatly and she looked at him, surprised.

"Ok." She said, sitting back down. "And you told Carl he ran away. Good." He frowned.

"I snapped his neck, and I left the group. That's when you found me." He said like she hadn't heard him.

"Why did you bring him back in the first place? Who's bright idea was that?" Ian asked incredulously.

"Mine. I couldn't see leaving him there." Rick said and she narrowed her eyes.

"Shane," She said, taking her eyes off Rick and looking at the big man. "You did the right thing. I hope it's something you're willing to do again, because more than likely you're going to have to. But that's what we do, isn't it?" She looked around to Sam, Dean, and Ian, and was met with nods all around.

"If we have to." Dean said, leaning back and looking at Rick critically.

"You guys finish your dinner." She said quietly, leaving the room and their eyes watching after her. She felt sick to her stomach, and when she got back to her room she raced as fast as she could to the bathroom. She barely made it, throwing the toilet open and throwing up violently. She felt it tear at her side and the pain was intense, but she just flushed the toilet and sank down against the wall behind her, her head in her hands and her thoughts rushing like a tornado in her head.


	32. I didn't mean it

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Rick was only slightly surprised when Sam and Dean turned back to him after Trouble left. He looked back at them silently, knowing he had probably just screwed up royally. Dean confirmed it for him quickly.

"Nice, Rick." He said, throwing his napkin on the table angrily.

"I didn't mean it like it sounded."

"That's great. I'll make sure she knows you don't think she's an ice-cold bitch." Ian said, his eyes narrowed at him.

"Hey, those things they were saying to her? I'd have killed them myself." Rick said, suddenly defensive.

"You think we she did, what we all did, was wrong?" Sam asked him, not as pointedly as the other two.

Rick looked at Sam. "I don't. They didn't give us a choice."

"So, why say those things? How you 'couldn't leave a man'. If you had, maybe Shane wouldn't have had to do what he did." Dean asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It was a mistake. I put my family and my friends in danger. It's not something I would do again." Rick said firmly. "Shane, I'm sorry you had to deal with it, and I get it now. But I don't want Carl to have to. I don't want him to think it's ok to kill. That kind of thing changes you and he's too young."

Shane looked back down at his plate, his face drawn. "I don't want him to either, man. But I don't see how we can avoid it now."

Glen looked around the table, confused. "Somebody want to explain to me what you guys are talking about? What happened out there? I thought you had to take them out."

"We did." Dean said grimly, his eyes on the table cloth.

"How exactly?"

They were quiet for a minute, but when Sam spoke, he was surprisingly aggressive. "They got to the gate and they were coming through. Trouble told 'em to stand down and they wouldn't. Reached for their guns and got off a shot before we could take 'em out."

"Ok, I think we knew that." Glen said.

"Second group came when we were gonna get her inside." Shane continued and Glen eyes went a little wider. "Four of them. They drew on us, and Rick did the same thing. Told 'em to go, and they didn't. Tried to come through the gate again." He paused and Glen shook his head.

"So you took them out too?" He asked.

Ian stood up angrily. "Spit it out. Tell him what happened." He looked over at Glen, his eyebrows low over his sharp blue eyes. "While they were looking to gut us, the first guys turned. Woke up, and went after them and we let them. We waited till they were partially chewed up and then dropped all of them, and we did it on her orders. It was damn smart."

The table got quiet, and Glen sat back in his chair hard. It was different hearing it spoken out loud. "Why are you all being like that? What the hell is the difference between that and putting a bullet in someone first? We were at risk, she was shot!" Ian continued. He put his arms out and looked at Rick. "But maybe you'd rather we would have brought one of them back. Doctored him up a little, huh? Waited for him to kill us in our sleep until somebody like Shane had the balls to take him out. Would your mind be a little more at ease if we did that, Rick?" Ian said, and Shane's eyes snapped up to him. Did Ian actually just say something relatively good about him? That was new. And Shane had to admit, he agreed with everything Ian was saying.

"This is fuckin ridiculous." Ian said finally and marched out of the kitchen. Dean stood up, and began to step away, but looked back at Rick and Glen.

"You two can be shocked all you want, but don't stand by and watch something happen and then feel guilty about it. There's no room for that here." He walked away too, and Sam followed. Glen quietly excused himself, leaving T-Dog, Rick and Shane at the table. Rick looked over at T-Dog, his face stony.

"You got any opinions on this?" He thought it best to just get it all out in the open.

T-Dog looked at the wall, shaking his head. He smiled a little and his eyes went to Rick. "Man, they were gonna kill us. They almost did kill her, and she and Shane are the only reason I got to believe we're alive now. They brought us in here, saved our lives and all she wants in return is backup. And not just a gun, Rick. Support."

"You don't think I support her?" Rick asked, stunned.

"I think Shane made the tough decision we didn't want to make, and he felt he had to take off. She did the same thing and we got an opportunity here to make sure she knows we're behind her."

Rick frowned, rubbing his face with his palm. "I _am_ behind her."

"Then make sure she knows it. If you got qualms about it, I think you better try and get past it, because you're out there and you take a minute to think about what you're gonna do, one of us isn't gonna come back." T-Dog said and left the kitchen, too.

"Rick," Shane said when he was gone. "How do you really feel about what happened? About what she did? About what I did."

Rick looked up at him, surprised. He stopped, thought about the question. "When we went to get Hershel from that bar and I killed the two men from Randall's group it was like the last straw, Shane. Everything I'd ever done, ever stood for, was gone. Bringing him back was..."

"You were trying to fix it." Shane said, getting up and moving to the chair next to Rick.

"In a way. Then I stood in that barn and put my gun up to his head, and Carl saw it. Told me to kill him. What was I supposed to do with that? I ruined what was left of my relationship with you, lost respect for myself. I just wanted things to go back. To be sensible again."

"It's never going to be like that again, Rick."

"I know that now." He said, his eyes wide. "I know what we have to do, and I'll do it. But seeing Carl, seeing her, doing it? It means there's nothing innocent left, and I don't know how to rationalize that. My god, she should be being 21. With her friends, having fun, not getting shot and figuring out how to not get raped and killed, or having to watch and allow other people to get eaten. That's _our_ job."

Shane frowned. "I don't like it any more than you do, but it's how she's still alive. She's had to do it before, and the only thing that's going to keep her sane is us. All of us, in her corner. I had to learn that the hard way. I lost her because I tried to change that."

He looked so sad that Rick felt his heart sink for him. He'd never let Shane know it, but he knew what the man was feeling. He loved her, and he had to watch Ian walk away with her every day. "I'm so sorry, Shane. For everything."

"So am I, man. It got so fuckin screwed up." Shane said.

"In more ways than one." Rick said, and Shane chuckled.

"God, man. Didn't think we'd end up here. Talkin' like this."

Rick smiled. "Yeah."

"I'm glad, though, man. Even after everything that happened."

"So am I."

Ian found Trouble in her bathroom, still sitting against her wall. He came in and knelt down in front of her, his face grim. "You ok?"

She looked up at him, and she looked so tired. "Yeah. Didn't feel so hot."

"I bet. Moron was talkin' out of his ass, Trouble. You know what we did was right."

"I do."

"So, what's the problem? Why didn't you tear him a new one?"

"He didn't actually say anything that would warrant that, Ian. I try not to maim if I don't have to." She actually smiled and he chuckled.

"There's my girl. I knew you were in there somewhere."

"He wasn't wrong about one thing, though." She said, her head falling back against the wall behind her, her eyes on the ceiling. "Carl shouldn't know about this stuff. What we do out there."

"You're worried about the kid? Kids are resilient. He'll snap back, and if he doesn't, he might actually live past 14." He flashed his eyes and she shook her head.

"No, Ian. I don't know, watching him, spending some time with him, makes me want to protect him from it. Give him a chance to be normal."

"You didn't get that chance, and I think you turned out great."

She smiled. "Yeah, I was fabulous. Stripper turned into a card carrying member of the NRA. 'Be All You Can Be', right?"

"If it makes you feel better, Charlton Heston is probably dead. The group will have disbanded by now for sure." He said seriously and she laughed. She moved her legs down and he saw the dark stain spread across her side and he sighed.

"You're bleeding again, Trouble. Come on." He said, grabbing her arm and helping her up. She pulled her tank top up and he peeled her bandage off. He saw the wound and his frown deepened. "I'm gonna kill that idiot, I swear to God."

"Yeah, that'll really make me feel all better." She said sarcastically and took her shirt off. "Not the answer to everything, Ian."

"I'd feel better. I already feel so dirty, I gotta do something." He said, watching her take the shorts off too, trying not to look at her curvy, perfect body.

"Why is that?" She asked, reaching into the shower and turning the hot water on.

"I might have said something a little nice about Shane out there, about how he killed that guy Rick brought back to camp." He smacked his lips like his mouth tasted bad and she chuckled.

"It's not the first time." She said and he rolled his eyes, leaving the room.

"Please don't remind me." He said loudly, grabbing her bottle of pills from the bedside. He went to her side table and poured a glass of whiskey from a decanter there. He brought it back to the bathroom and found her standing under the stream of steamy water. "Here." He said and she rinsed her eyes and looked back at him. He shook some pills out and she opened her mouth. He put them in her mouth and held up the glass so she could take a drink. She swallowed and he pulled the curtain back closed so she could continue showering.

She did so slowly, and when she wrapped the towel around her and opened the curtain she found him sitting on the counter patiently. She smiled and went to brush her teeth.

"I'm glad they're dead, Trouble, and I'd do it again." He said and she looked at him as she brushed her hair out.

"What does that say about us, Ian?" She asked, her eyes on her own reflection.

"That were not dumbasses." He balked at his words. "If you start doubting yourself now, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Not doubting, Ian. Calm thyself." She said, grinning.

"Good. The world exploded. The dead came back to life and the people went ape shit. I think you have a little moral wiggle room now." He said, hopping off the counter as she pulled on a pair of panties and fastened her bra. He grabbed the bandages and applied them to her back gently as she did her front.

"Maybe. But isn't that what makes the world the way it is now? People thinking the old rules don't apply anymore?" She asked as he finished. She walked out into the bedroom and grabbed a clean teeshirt from her bureau and pulled it on. She went to her bed and took a drink from a water bottle there. He kicked his shoes off and got up on the other side, and she laid down resting her cheek against his chest. He smelled like sunshine and his sandalwood smell, and she reveled in it as he wrapped his arms tightly around her and rested his chin against her head.

"I don't think you have to worry about yourself. You're the most amazing person I've ever met." He said softly, his stubble scratching her skin in the most comforting way. She snuggled deeper against him.

"I was thinking the same thing." She said. She felt relaxed, her pain easing away.

She felt him smile. "Go on. I love hearing how awesome I am."

"I think you have that market cornered, darlin'."

He looked down at her, feigning hurt. "Aw, and here I thought I was being so sweet."

"I let you in here, didn't I? You must be doing something right."

"I'll hold onto that thought." He said, raising the remote and turning the tv on. He cued up a movie and reached around her, turning off the light. She fell asleep quickly, his arms strong around her, his breathing deep and even against her cheek.

They slept late, and no one bothered them. Rick woke up thinking about her, about how he'd hurt her so deeply, and he sat in the control room staring at the screens absently. Talking to Shane had made him feel a little better, but until he spoke to her things wouldn't be truly ok.

Trouble woke up when she felt Ian stir. She opened her eyes and saw him looking at her with those blue eyes. She smiled and leaned into his hand when he stroked her hair.

"Morning. How do you feel?" He asked softly and she took a deep breath, moving a little bit. She winced and he got up, going to her bedside table and getting her some medicine. She took it and sat up slowly, and he perched next to her. "You want to get some more sleep?"

"No. You guys are doing the razor wire on the wall this morning, right?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

"That's the plan."

"I'm going to the roof and watch." She said and his eyebrows went up.

"You feel like doing that?"

She shrugged. "I can't be out there with you, it's the next best thing."

"Alright. But let's get some food first. You didn't get a chance to eat much yesterday."

She chuckled. "Yeah, sounds good."

He kissed her forehead. "I'll meet you out there. I need a shower badly." She smiled and nodded and he left. She got up and pulled a pair of jeans on, and her brown knee high boots. She changed from the teeshirt she had slept in into a white tank top and grabbed a short white jacket, tying it around her waist. The bandages still looked ok, so she left them, feeling the medicine start to kick in. She pulled her now wavy hair up high on her head and left her room.

She heard dishes clanking together and voices coming from the kitchen and headed in. Most people were done, but Shane, Dean and Sam were still there. She came in quietly and took her seat, garnering their attention anyway.

"You sleep ok?" Sam asked, taking a drink of his coffee.

"Like a rock." She said, trying to sound bright, grabbing some sausage from a plate on the table.

"You goin' somewhere?" Dean asked, eying her outfit. Shane was wondering the same thing.

"I wish." She said, leaving it at that, and Dean narrowed his eyes, not convinced but dropping it. They ate quickly and when they were done she followed them into the control room where she saw Rick in the chair. He sat up quickly, and she sighed, nodding to him a greeting. She was so grateful to have the others around, she did not want to talk about what had happened. As far as she was concerned, Ian had dealt with it with her, and it was over.

T-Dog and Ian joined them soon and they had loaded up and headed to the elevator. She let them out before she pushed the speaker next to her and called for Glen. He showed up and looked surprised to see her pulling her jacket on.

"Where are you going?" He asked warily and she sighed at him.

"A jog." She said flatly and he raised his eyebrow at her. "The roof, Glen. Don't worry, I'm not going out. I just want to watch them."

"Well, I want to go. Maggie can watch the monitors. And Hershel."

"You want to go to the roof with me?"

"Yeah. I haven't been out in a while. I could use the sun."

She shook her head, shrugging. "Fine. Come on then." He called for Maggie and Trouble watched the monitors while he changed into a white shirt. "Hey Maggie. Will you stay on monitors?"

"Sure." The girl said and grabbed the chair, and Trouble ran her through the new monitor and movement alarms. Glen was back shortly and grabbed a long range rifle and went with her to the elevator.

"Damn..." The young man said when he saw the bikes in the lobby, and she grinned.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" She said, stepping forward and running her hand over the blue version of Victoria she had gushed over before. "Do you ride?"

She nodded, getting down next to the other one, a white one. "Yeah, but I never had anything this nice. I've always wanted a VFR."

"We'll go riding, when I feel better."

He looked up and grinned, and she motioned for him to follow her up the stairs. Coming up and out the access panel twinged her side a little, and she winced but Glen didn't see it and she avoided the subject being brought up about how she was stressing herself. They left it open and she picked up a pair of binoculars, and searched the empty field and road. Their cars were gone, silence over the landscape.

"They must be in the hardware store." She said, sitting down on an air conditioning unit and watching. He grabbed the spot next to her and put his gun over his lap facing away from her.

"It's getting a little warmer." He said and she nodded.

"Yeah. Cincinnati doesn't usually get warm this fast. Is it a southern thing?" It was maybe 45 degrees, the sun shining brightly around them, and he shrugged.

"I don't think so. I think we can chalk it up to the world just being a strange ass place right now." She chuckled and he smiled, looking over at her. "So, what was Cincinnati like, before, you know?"

"What was it like?" She asked, laughing a little.

"Yeah. What kind of a life did you have?"

She thought about it, a smile on her face. "It was good. Pretty city, small enough that you knew a lot of people, big enough to get pizza delivery at 11 at night." He laughed and she continued. "We'd go shopping downtown, sit in the square and have lunch and watch the kids play in the fountain. Good shopping. Saks, Macy's, Tiffany's. It's all a girl needs."

"Not so much into that. Music?" He asked and her smile widened.

"Riverbend. Fantastic place. Right on the river, outside venue, and small. You could lay on the lawn around it on a blanket and listen to the best bands, staring up at the stars and drinking beer. Sound quality was outstanding, and the bands would have to walk across it so you always saw them close up."

"Who did you see?" He asked, liking to hear her remembering such positive things.

"Motley Crue, KISS, Dave Matthews. Oh, Michael Buble and Poison were great shows." She said, glancing over at him. "Then of course, there was work. Cass and I were in this club across the river, in Kentucky. Place called Newport, and _so_ not a neighborhood you'd want to walk around alone at 2 in the morning. But I had regulars, and the boss, Trina, she was a sweetheart. Her and her husband Marcus ran the place. Treated us, me and Cass, really well."

"Well, you know this does explain one thing." He said and she looked at him warily.

"What would that be?"

"Sam called Coke 'pop'. It must be a Cincinnati thing."

"He calls it 'pop' because it's pop. Not everything is Coke, you know." She said playfully. "We had a lot of things that nobody else had, actually."

"Like what?"

"Like the food. I miss the food so goddamn much." She said wistfully, and he looked at her curiously. "Ok, the chili, for one."

"We had chili."

"No you didn't. Not like ours. We used cinnamon and chocolate in ours. It's fabulous." He grimaced and she shook her head. "Don't knock it till you try it, buddy. And the ice cream. Graeter's. They didn't use your dumb little chocolate chips, no. You'd dig in there and get half a candy bar."

"That sounds good." He said, his eyebrows going up.

"It was awesome. Oh, and my personal favorite. Goetta."

"Sounds like a wart."

She chuckled. "Big german population settled in the city early on and stayed there, most of our city was really influenced by it. Hell, most of us were German ourselves. It's traditional. Pork mixed with oats and spices, made into blocks. You cut off a slice and fry it. It was usually for breakfast, but I could eat it three times a day."

"So you guys, you and Sam and Dean, you're german?"

She nodded. "Half. The other half Scottish."

He nodded. "My father was Korean, my mother was southern lady."

"And you were raised in the US?"

"Yeah. Went to Korea twice, but it's been grits and cheeseburgers my whole life."

They heard the crunch of gravel in the distance and stopped talking. One of their trucks pulled into sight in front of the gate, followed by the SUV Sam favored. He got out and unlocked the gate, and they pulled through. Trouble and Glen could see the back loaded with shiny bundles of metal. They pulled to the end of the wall overlooking the cliff and valley and stopped, quickly getting out and pulling on gloves. They threw two bundles down at the base of the wall and Dean hopped up on the wall and began to secure brackets for the wire.

"We should have done this before." She said, sitting back and taking a deep breath in, putting her hand on her side. It was twinging through the medicine she'd taken.

"Is it hurting very badly?" Glen asked, noticing.

"Nothing I can't handle." She said, pressing her lips together.

"You know, Carl got shot. That's how we found Hershel's farm."

She looked over at him. "Really?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "They were in the woods, one of Hershel's guys, Otis, was hunting. He went for a deer, didn't see Carl. Got him right in the stomach."

"My god. No wonder the kid said what he did." She said, and things fell a little more into place for her.

"Hershel saved him, but he couldn't have done it without Rick and Shane." She furrowed her brow and he explained. "Rick gave him blood while Shane and Otis went for a piece of equipment they needed to do the surgery. They were attacked and Otis didn't make it but Shane got everything they needed and got away. Got back just in time, and they patched Carl up and he pulled through."

She looked down at Shane on the lawn below, her head tilted to the side. He was focused, pulling the bundles apart and lifting them up so Sam could secure them to the brackets Dean had put on already. "He's a good man. They both are."

Glen stayed quiet, and she frowned after a minute, looking over at him. He noticed and shrugged. "Yeah, he is. Mostly though, since he got here."

"I think everyone had calmed down a little since they got here. You don't really have to worry about being attacked in your sleep. Most of the time." She said dryly and he chuckled.

"Yeah."

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked suddenly and he nodded.

"Sure."

"Do you think it's healthy, here?"

He looked at her strangely. "What do you mean?"

"It's just... I've been thinking. We all were out on the road. You guys a little longer than us. Out there, you have a certain way you have to be, but here..."

"You have time to think." He finished for her and she nodded.

"Yeah. You get to sit back a little, think about the people and things you miss. You even get quite a bit of it back."

"We're living again."

"On a greatly reduced scale, but yeah. If I broke up with Shane out there, he wouldn't have time to dwell on it. To try and find ways to be near or get back together. I mean, he's been ok, don't get me wrong. But I have found myself in some... uncomfortable situations."

"You don't know Shane real well, Trouble, if you think that." He said and she looked at him, her eyes narrowed warily. "He did everything he could to get Lori back when Rick came. He got violent, downright scary. Then he killed Randall and took off and we thought it was over. The only thing I can say about this situation is you're not leading him on the way she did. She was with Rick and was behind him, but everytime she got the chance she was looking at Shane, using him to get what she needed. It confused the hell out of the guy. It would sure as hell confuse me."

"She was a piece of work, wasn't she?" She said, looking back down at the guys below. Shane had grabbed a bottle of water and was chugging it, his face turned up toward them. He must have seen them sitting there because he paused, the water bottle drifting down, his other hand coming up to shield his eyes.

"All I'm saying is, I'm glad you're not the same. He's not pretty when he's frustrated."

"I gathered that." She said and they fell silent for a while.

"Trouble is on the roof. With Glen, looks like." Shane said when Rick came near to grab more wire. Rick looked up suddenly, shielding his eyes. He could see the sunlight glinting off her golden hair , and Glen's dark hair next to her.

"She's worried about us, hates not being out here." He said, leaning back down and grabbing the wire. He carried it back and handed the end to Sam on the wall. He glanced back at the roof again when he turned and sighed. He really, really wanted to talk to her.

"They're coming in." Glen said after a while. The guys had gotten to the gate and past it quite a ways, and she and Glen had moved to the other side of the roof to watch. Suddenly, her walkie snapped to life with Maggie's voice, and she saw Dean freeze on the wall and go for his too. They were on the same channel, of course he would hear it.

"We have movement by the landmines you guys put down, Trouble. One of them just went off." The girl's voice said and Glen looked at her, startled.

She pushed the button and spoke. "Can you see the camera there, Maggie?"

"Yeah, now I can. It keeps flickering. There are a couple walkers out there. Four, I think."

Trouble frowned. "Dean?" She said into the speaker.

"I heard. We'll go now." He said and she saw all the guys below rush the cars.

"Damn." She breathed out begrudgingly and stood, heading for the access panel. They got downstairs quickly and down the elevator. They went for the control room and found Maggie watching the monitor on the desk anxiously. Trouble came around behind her and the girl got up from the chair. Trouble took her place and watched four walkers walking over the used landmines. A sharp flash came as one of the dead heads hit a remaining mine. It had to be one of the last, if not the last, Trouble thought and pushed the walkie base.

"Dean, a mine took out another one, but there's three more almost past the camera."

"Copy. Be there in two minutes." She heard him, the squeal of tires behind his voice.

"Be careful! I don't know how many mines are left." She said, but he didn't answer. "We didn't block that way, we just left the mines that weren't set off and the sign. We were thinking about the people, not the walkers." She said to Glen, and he pressed his lips together tightly. They saw the walkers on camera begin to drop, their bodies jolting sharply with the bullets coming from the guns off camera. When they had fallen, she saw Shane, then Dean, then Rick, followed by the rest of them drift into sight. They still had their weapons drawn, but she saw Rick motion back to the others, and gradually, the cars from that side of the road started to go into place like they had the opposite side of the house. Front to back, lined up and blocking the entire road, from cliff wall to dropoff on the other side, just before the start of the landmines they had laid. The last vehicle was pushed into place and Dean looked up at the camera.

"How does it look?" He came over the speaker.

"Looks good. See you when you get back." She said. He saluted the camera, and they moved away from her line of sight again. She sighed and sat back. "I gotta say, this is going to be the safest place in the south. Long as somebody doesn't bring a rocket launcher."

Glen chuckled. "I wouldn't say it's impossible."

"God, don't say that." She said, glancing back at him before turning back to the monitor. The guys were back, and when they parked the cars and got out, she opened the gate for them. She left Glen and Maggie and went to meet them in the common room.

"Whew!" Dean whooped as they got out of the elevator. Despite the cold they had been sweating, and they headed straight for the kitchen for a drink.

"The wire looks good so far." She said, turning before Rick got to her and followed them to the kitchen, pulling off her jacket as she went.

"Yeah, we should have it done by tomorrow or the next day at the latest." Dean said, grabbing a water and downing it quickly. She sat down on the counter and Rick grabbed a water and took the place next to her quietly.

"Good deal. I can't believe the hardware store still had what you need." She said and Dean shrugged.

"I guess barbed wire wasn't in people's shopping lists." Sam grinned. "Good for us."

"Alright. Sounds good." She said, grinning. Her side was killing her. She got up slowly and headed back to her room. She had a feeling she wasn't alone, and when Rick appeared at her door as she was swallowing her medicine, she wasn't at all shocked.

"Can we talk?" He asked, and she sat down on the bed and sighed. She raised her hand for him to come in, and he closed the door behind him. He came to stand in the middle of the room, looking uncomfortable, and she tilted her head, waiting for him to speak. "I just wanted you to know, last night was... wrong."

"Wrong." She repeated, frowning. "Ok."

"Carl surprised the hell out of me. I had no idea he'd heard anything more than what I'd told him about the shooting. And I guess it spun me around."

She flicked her eyebrows up. She was hurting way to bad to do this right now. "Why did you really bring that Randall guy back to camp, after his buddies tried to kill you? Because I feel like if I know that, I'll know where you stand on what happened with those redneck morons out there."

"I stand behind you. 100%. What I did, what I said, that was how I felt then. Not now."

"Look, Rick, I'm not faulting you for how you must look at me, telling you guys to stand down when the walkers got up. You were a cop, I'm sure it's different for you." She said, waving her hand away at him but he took a step forward suddenly.

"That's not it." He said and she stopped, looking up at him completely lost now. "Trouble, I didn't get the same experience the rest of you did. I woke up in a hospital and I had no idea any of this happened. If Morgan and his son hadn't taken me in I would have been killed really quickly. It took a while to rationalize killing the walkers, so when I had to kill a regular person, for whatever reason, it hit me hard. I took Randall back just so I would know I hadn't totally lost my humanity."

She frowned, looking down at the ground. It made sense. She'd watched it unfold. He'd been thrown in like a kid learning to swim.

"The point is, I wouldn't do it again." He continued, and she looked back up at him. "Because I made that choice, Shane had to do what he did and I lost him over it. We all did. It was the last straw. I can't lose you because you think I'm still that person."

"I get it. Come, sit down." She said, and he came to sit by her on the bed. He reached out and took her hand, and she let him. "I'm not sorry for what I let happen. What got me was that, when Carl said what he did, I realized he was going to know these things, and he was going to think it was ok. Murder is never ok, but self defense is, and I would die before I let those guys in here to hurt any of you."

"So would I." He said, squeezing her hand.

"And..." She began slowly. "I thought, maybe you were disappointed in me. Thought I'd turned into a monster. I respect you so much, I didn't want that."

His eyes grew wide, and he grabbed her face in his hands. "I never, ever could think that. You're amazing. Kind and generous, smart and sweet. And you kick ass. I've been so impressed with everything you are since the moment I walked in here."

She looked into his eyes. "I adore Carl, too. I don't want him to grow up like this."

"If I could have anything, it would be that Carl could spend every day with you. I'd know he'd grow up right if that happened." He said softly, and her mouth opened in surprise. She started to speak but he cut her off. "No, I'm serious. Being here is the best thing that's happened to both of us. He's opened up so much, been able to play, be a kid."

She nodded and he took his hands off her face but grabbed hers in his again. "I'd like to talk to him about what he said. What he must think."

"Of course. Do you want to go see him now?"

She pulled her hand away and put it on her side. "No, not right now. I need to let that medicine kick in a little."

He jumped a little. "I'm so sorry. Ambushing you like this when you're hurting."

"No, no." She said, leaning back against the pillows. "I'm sorry I was avoiding you. I just couldn't deal with everything going on, you know?"

He put another pillow behind her. "I can get Hershel."

"No." She shook her head quickly. "I just stressed it a little. No big. Medicine should kick in here in a while and I'll be real happy."

He grinned. "I guess going out on the roof did it."

"You saw that, huh?" She said, smiling. He sat back down and rubbed her arms and her hands. It was actually really relaxing. "When are you guys going back out?"

"Not sure. I think they were pretty tired. Drilling into that concrete was not the easiest thing in the world."

"I bet. It was a great idea, though. The wire. The geeks won't be able to get over easy, but what happens if we need to get over the wall? We had to a couple times before."

"Well," He paused, sitting back a little. "With the street blocked now and the wire, hopefully the threat will be taken down to the point where we won't need to. If we do, we'll figure it out." He pulled his sleeves up and she saw a long red cut going down his forearm and she did a double take. Grabbed his arm, she pulled it to her.

"God, Rick."

He looked down at it, her fingers tracing the skin next to it. "Stuff is sharp."

She shook her head. "Ya think? Go wash it, and come back." He looked at her curiously and got up, going to her bathroom. He grabbed the bar of soap she kept there and cleaned the cut carefully, washing away the blood that had seeped from it. He came back and found her sitting up, a tube and a bandage in her hands.

"You don't have to do this, you're hurting." He said, but she pointed to the bed.

"Sit." He smiled and did as she told him, and she put his arm across her knees. The cut was on the side of his arm, and his fingers trailed over her knee lightly as he got into position, and he felt the familiar tingle in his stomach. The time he'd had with her in the bedroom downstairs that night had only whetted his appetite for more, and he was finding himself increasingly aroused by even the littlest things she did.

She dabbed a cream across the cut and frowned. "It's deeper than I thought." She said and he watched her press the long strip of gauze over it and tape it down. "There. That should do it. You look better when you're in one piece."

She grinned and he returned it. "Thanks."

"All the times you patched me up, thanking me is probably the last thing you need to do." She tested her side, the pain was easing away slowly. "Let's go check on the others. They're probably ready to head back out soon."

And they were. She left Rick to the kitchen and went to the control room, taking a seat on the chair. Ian came in and kissed her goodbye, rejoining the others at the elevator. She let them out and watched them return to work. They stayed out there till sundown, and when they came back in the fencing was more than halfway done around the compound.

A few days later the razor wire was up and they were parking two unused trucks in front of the gate to reinforce it until they could come up with a more permanent solution. It could be a liability, having them there. If people got through the car barriers they could hide behind them, but it was better than nothing. For now.

Trouble had the gate on her mind when she couldn't sleep one night. Ian had come with her back to her room, and fallen asleep quickly, but she laid there thinking, staring out at the dark. An idea came to her in a flash and she almost smacked herself upside the head. She got up and pulled on a pair of shorts, and let herself out into the hallway. They hadn't been in there long, and she thought maybe somebody may still be up. Sam and Dean had had quite a few beers topped off with about a half a bottle of tequila after they'd finished working, so she didn't expect to see them, but Rick or Shane maybe.

Sure enough, Shane was still sitting on the sofa in the common room, a movie on the big screen and a beer in his hand.

"Hey. Couldn't sleep?" He sat up when he saw her, grinning. He was surprised at her reappearance, and most definitely pleased. He had had little to no solitary contact with her in weeks, and he'd been thinking of ways to be able to do that. He was practically vibrating with sexual frustration, his alone time in the shower only doing so much for him.

She paused by the chair next to him. "Shane, I'm a freakin idiot."

He laughed. "I doubt it, but go ahead."

"The gate. I can't believe I didn't think of it before."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Think of what?"

"When you were out on the road, what stopped you dead in your tracks? What made you think twice about rushing in?" She came and sat on the couch next to him and he put his beer bottle down, all his attention on the excited look on her face. It was too damn cute.

"Well, I guess if I thought I might get bit I would think twice." He said slowly, thinking.

"Exactly. We make the gate bite. We electrify it. Shock the hell out of anybody stupid enough to try and screw with it."

"How do we do that?"

"With a car battery. Complete the circuit through the iron, an we can disconnect it anytime we want to use it." She said, looking at him with a little smile. "I've got the wire, and we can use the battery out of the truck you salvaged from the trigger happy neanderthals."

"You want to do this tonight? It's just the two of us. Who'll watch the monitors?"

"Well, let's see if we're gonna be able to rig it first." She said, biting her lip and thinking. She suddenly got up and walked away. He stood up and followed her to the control room. They got there and she went for box under the desk. She sat down and pulled it out, pawing through it quickly. She got a large spool of wire, and he grabbed the stool next to her, watching. She pulled a smaller spool out next and got up, going to the shelves on the wall. She dug through the bits and pieces and found what she was looking for. She brought a good sized switch with 'On' and 'Off' written on the top and bottom. "Outdoor switch, we can use it to turn the electric on and off." She said, reaching around behind her and grabbing the small soldering iron she'd left there.

She cut some wire from the second spool and quickly stripped the casing from it. "Hold this for me, Shane." She said, and when he put his hand out she grabbed it and put his fingers on the wire where she needed him. He watched her with his deep brown eyes, his expression unreadable. She began to weld the pieces together carefully, and he ran a tongue over his dry lips.

"Where'd you learn to do this?" He asked.

"It's just like rigging an electric fence on a horse farm. Not hard. That's why I can't believe I didn't think of it." She said, her eyes on her work. Sparks flew from the tip of the soldering iron, and he moved his fingers back a little. She finished and put the iron down, and grabbed the switch. "Ok, hold this now." She said and handed him the switch. He held it so she could attach the wires to one end of it.

"You do know I'm going to have to go out with you to finish this, right?" She said, putting her iron down and taking the switch back from him, inspecting her work.

"Just for this, though, right? You're still hurt."

"I'm aware, believe me. I'll need Sam, and you guys will be there with cover." She put the switch and wire down and looked over at the clock on the wall. "Better get some sleep, Shane. I want to do this early."

"I'll walk you back" He said, standing and holding out his hand. She took it and let him pull her up. She yawned as they went into the hall. He walked her all the way back to her bedroom door, and before he let her go in he brushed her cheek with her fingertips. "Goodnight."

"Night." She smiled and let herself in. She tucked in closely to Ian, who stirred and put his hand on her hip in his sleep. She was asleep before she knew it, her sleep dreamless and deep.


	33. Hold the ammo

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Ian was gone when she woke up, and she stretched. She was pleased to see her side hurt a hell of a lot less than usual, and smiled. It would be a good day to string up the gate. She got dressed quickly in a pair of jeans and a long sleeved black v-neck shirt. She tied her boots up her ankle and stepped out to the breakfast table.

Most of the others were already there, and she took her seat quietly, listening to their chatter. She pulled her shirt sleeves up and nodded to Rick, who nodded his greeting as they listened to Dean telling some random story. Ian looked over at her as she grabbed some orange juice and bacon.

"I wanted to let you sleep."

She winked, chewing. She swallowed quickly and spoke. "I had a brainstorm last night. About the gate."

"Figures. Your best ideas always did come to you in the middle of the night." He grinned. She ate quickly, telling him to bring the others back to the control room when they were done, and she slipped out again.

In the control room, she gathered the supplies they would need to rig the gate and soon, Sam walked through the door, the others close behind. "What's that?" He asked, looking in the box of wires and tools.

"The solution to the gate problem. No more parking the cars in front of it, but I'm going to need you." She said, putting a last pair of pliers in the box.

"Sure. What do we do?"

"First, I don't want to hear you bitch about the fact that I've got to go with you, ok?"

"You're still hurt." Dean said, leaning against the desk and crossing his arms.

"Again, aware of my limitations. I just want to rig the gate, and then I'm back in, Dean." She said, grabbing a leather jacket from a hook on the wall. "Don't worry, you guys will be doing the work. Load up."

They did so quickly and Sam grabbed the box, and when Hershel let them out into the bright sunlight, she pushed her sunglasses on her face and looked back at Shane. "We have to get the battery out of that truck. Do you mind?" He moved past her and she and Sam put the box in the back of the Jeep, Rick and T-Dog coming up behind them.

"Battery, wire..." Sam said, beginning to grin widely. "Hot damn." She grinned back and Rick spoke up.

"What exactly are we doing?" He asked, and Sam looked back at him.

"She's electrifying the gate." He answered, shaking his head. "Freakin brilliant."

"Thought you'd like that. Won't stop them from driving through it, but it'll definitely make them think twice about touching it." She said, and T-Dog laughed, amused and grinning. He winked at her and she chuckled.

Shane brought the battery back and they got into the cars, and in a minute, she was getting out and surveying the best place to put the wire. "Alright, Sam, grab the box. Shane, the battery. Bring it right here. Rick, do we have a tarp in the tool chest in the back of the truck? I think there was one there before."

They all moved quickly, and she had the things she'd asked for in front of her in a minute. She grabbed the switch and wire she'd made and walked with Sam to the far left side of the gate. "I'll hold the switch in place here. Grab the spool and run it across and back, five layers."

She stood back and watched Sam start putting the spool of wire in and out between the bars. She took a moment to look around, enjoy being in the yard again. The others were in a loose semi circle around she and Sam, guns ready in case they needed it. She glanced back and saw Rick watching them closely, his hand up to shield his eyes. He saw her look at him and he came to stand next to her.

Sam got the five layers done and she pointed to the sharp spike poking up from the gate mount above. "Wrap it around that and take it over to the other one before you do the same thing on the other gate door, Sam."

"So the doors will still open." Rick said, and she nodded.

"Yeah. It really should stay on the metal, but I think it will conduct pretty well anyway." She said as she moved to the other side, watching Sam hop up on the gate and wrap the wire tightly around the other spike and begin to thread it down and through the bars, matching his job on the other side.

"Good." She said when he finished. He brought the spool to her and she knelt down at the battery. He got down next to her, and she looked up. "T-Dog. Make sure the switch says OFF for me."

He was the closest to it, and leaned it. He reached his hand out and flicked it. "Done."

She looked back at the battery and grabbed two pairs of pliers from the box next to her. She handed one to Sam and they each chose a post on the battery and connected the wire to it. They stood up and she brushed her knees free of grass and dirt. She looked around the ground, finding a long, thin twig in the grass near her feet and picked it up, going to the switch.

"Here goes." She said to the group and they crowded in as she flicked the switch on. She stood back and tossed the twig at the gate. A loud pop and crack sounded and the twig flashed as it hit the metal, landing on the ground and trailing a small wisp of smoke.

"Hell yes!" T-Dog exclaimed. "Damn, girl."

"That's great." Rick said, impressed, and looked over at Trouble. She grinned and nodded her head happily, hand on her hips.

"Yeah, I think that'll do." She said, biting her lip. T-Dog grabbed another twig and tossed it, laughing at the bright spark and loud pop that sounded.

"Wish we had this when those idiots were here." Shane said.

"Might have saved us some trouble, that's for sure." She said, frowning. "Would you guys grab the tarp and tuck it in around the battery? It can't get wet."

"Sure." Rick said and he and Shane grabbed the tarp. In a moment they had the whole unit covered tightly. They gathered the supplies and Sam put the box in the back of the Jeep.

"Trouble, let me show you the flares." Sam said and she walked over to him by the opposite side of the gate. "Ok, we grab this wire and yank." He said, leaning down and showing her the wire he had trailed through the gate and tied in a loop at the end. "It'll break the tops off all the flares on this side at once, and they shoot down and toward the road." He looked up at her and grinned.

She nodded appreciatively. "Nice, Sam. That'll be a good distraction. I like it."

"The other one is next to the battery." He stood again and they walked back toward the cars with the others. He put his arm over her shoulders and she adjusted her sunglasses, looking around the yard. The razor wire glinted in the sun on the wall, and she smiled. "What?" He asked.

She looked up at him, still smiling. "I thought this place was safe before. You guys made it into a fortress."

He kissed her temple. "Gotta keep my favorite girl safe."

They got to the Jeep and she got up into the passenger seat, slightly surprised when Rick grabbed the driver's. She sat back and rested her head against the seat rest, her face toward the sun. The day was a lot warmer than it had been, unusual for the time of year, but she loved it.

"You look like you feel a lot better." Rick said and she rolled her head toward him.

"Yeah. Gotta do it fast if Dean's going to let me have the keys to the bike." She said and he smiled.

"Excited about that, huh?"

"Oh God. You have no idea. You going riding with me?"

"You're gonna have to show me how. I've never been on one of those." He looked over at her.

"Well, I guess you're gonna have to ride bitch for a while, then." She grinned and he laughed. He stopped the car at the house and they got out, following the others into the dim lobby.

"So, what's the plan for today? We got all that stuff done, we're gonna veg for a while right?" Dean asked, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

"I've got laundry to do, man. I'm down to nothing here." Trouble said, and when T-Dog started laughing she shot him a raised eyebrow. "Pipe down there, peanut crowd."

They were laughing when the doors opened and she went right for her room. She was gathering her dirty clothes, and there were many, when Rick got to her door. "Can I carry the basket?" He asked and she looked around her at the three baskets she had filled.

"Which one?" She grinned and he came in, grabbing the largest one. He grinned and she grabbed a smaller one and followed him to the laundry room. Dean and Sam were in the common room with Carl, who must have been in the kitchen when they'd come in. Dean had a beer and Sam was bringing the video game up.

"I still want to talk to Carl." She said as they reached the washer and she lifted the lid, throwing jeans and tee shirts in.

Rick sat the basket down and put his hands on his hips. "Whenever you want."

She looked back at him. "Don't you have any dirty clothes? You or Carl?"

"Carol takes care of his."

"Ok, well go get yours. I'll wash them with mine." She said and he grinned and left the room. She dumped soap in on top of her wash and began to sort her remaining baskets. She left room for Rick's clothes with her first load, and when he came back, his arms loaded with pants and shirts, she pointed to a spot on the floor for him to drop them.

"You don't have to do my laundry, you know." He said, watching her grab a couple shirts and a pair of jeans from his pile.

"I don't mind." She said, pulling several loose bullets from his jeans pocket. "But you might want to hold the ammo next time." She grinned and he took the bullets from her.

"Always been a thing. Lori used to get so mad at me for leaving stuff in my pockets. She was always finding loose change in the bottom of the washer." He said, looking down at the bullets in his hand.

She glanced back at him as she threw the last shirt in the washer and turned it on. "Everybody's got their something. I used to walk in the door and I'd start taking clothes off. You'd come in behind me and find my coat, my sweater, my shirt, and so on in a trail all the way back to my room. Had a roommate once, drove her so crazy she moved out after three months."

He grinned, picturing it. "You don't do it anymore."

"Anna was quite a motivator. Got me out of it. But you should have seen this place before she came. Looked like a frat house." She said, leaning back against the washer and crossing her arms over her chest. Rick reached to put the bullets in his hand in his pocket and she burst out laughing. "You never learn, do you man?" She grabbed his hand and he looked up at her, surprised.

He opened his hand for her and she took the bullets, turning the going to the control room. She put them on the desk and grinned, shaking her head. "I'll sew your pockets shut, don't think I won't." He laughed, running his hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I, uh... don't really think about it when I'm doing it."

"We'll work on it. I'm gonna go change." She said, and left Rick to go see what Carl was up to and slipping away to her room. She closed the door behind her, stripping off her jacket as she went across the room. She hung it up and pulled the shirt off, hanging it too. She kicked her boots off and went to the bathroom. She quickly changed the bandages on her side and wriggled out of her jeans, throwing them over her towel rack. She returned to her room, took some medicine and pulled on a pair of gray shorts she'd only worn once before and dug around her bureau. She really was low on clothes, and had to grab a Van Halen tee she had brought into the house. The sleeves had long ago been ripped off, and it had that incredible softness cotton gets when its been washed a million times.

She left the room and saw Shane's door open as she passed. "Hey Shane?" She said, stopping in front of it.

She saw his head peek out from the bathroom. He was shaving, foamy whiteness still on half his face. "Hey. Come in." He said and ducked back in the bathroom.

"You want anything washed?" She asked as she walked in, coming to lean against the bathroom door, watching him. He'd taken his shirt off and she allowed herself a moment to admire his muscular back.

"Uh, yeah. You sure?" He asked, his eyebrows knitting together as he looked at her in the mirror.

She raised an eyebrow at him playfully. "Going once, going twice..."

He grinned. "Can I finish this first?"

"Sure. It'll be a few till I can get them in anyway."

He ran his eyes down her before he looked back at his reflection and ran the razor up his cheek. "I like the shirt."

She looked down at it. "Had it since I was 16."

"I used to have one."

"I'll let you borrow it." She said and he grinned.

"I think it looks better on you." He said, taking the last swipe at his face and hissing slightly as he nicked himself. She walked past him and grabbed a tissue from the box on the counter.

"Let me see." She said, coming to stand between him and the counter. She pulled his hand away and wiped a little shaving cream away, dotting at the small cut under his chin. "You got yourself good." She felt his hands on her waist and he took a little step forward so she was almost pressed against his bare chest. She looked up into his face, and saw his eyes heavy lidded.

"Shane." She said softly. "I've got to be able to be near you without this happening."

"I just miss you." He said, his hands tightening slightly.

"I'm still hurt, ok? Please don't."

He dropped his head, and she felt his hands fall away. "I'm sorry."

She grabbed a washcloth from the sink and wiped the rest of the shaving cream from his face, and he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "I think it's my fault. I put you in these positions. Most of the time."

"No you don't. I don't want you to stop coming around. I think I would really lose it then." He said, and she frowned. "Even this is more than I deserve."

She looked at him closely. "I don't think so. You deserve so much more than this." She put her hand on the tattoo on his chest. "Bring your clothes to the laundry room, ok?" He nodded and she kissed his cheek before slipping past him and out the door. He looked up into the mirror, his brown eyes pained. He had tried to get her back, and he'd failed. Now, the best he could hope for was to keep her as close as possible.

The washer had stopped by the time she got back and she tossed the wet clothes into the dryer, thinking about Shane. Maybe they weren't able to be in a relationship, but she was going to to do everything she could to be sure he was as happy as possible anyway. That they all were.

She went to the kitchen after she'd started more of her and Rick's clothes and grabbed a soda from the fridge. She popped the top and went out to the common room, grabbing a seat next to Rick on the loveseat where he was watching Carl play with Sam. Dean had a couple empty beer bottles in front of him, and he looked relaxed and happy. Rick shifted a little when she pulled her bare legs up and tucked them under her, looking down at her and smiling.

"Hi Trouble!" Carl said happily, his attention on the racing game.

"You kicking Sam's tail?" She grinned at the boy.

"Yeah, he is." Sam said grimly. "You've had time to do this when I can't, Carl. It's not fair."

Carl laughed and the banner for his win came across the screen. Rick chuckled when Sam threw his hands in the air. "You gotta be kidding me." Sam groaned and pushed a pillow over his own face. Carl laughed hard, watching Sam mope for a moment before jumping back up, throwing the pillow. "Again. I'm gonna beat you if it kills me, man."

She grinned and looked over at Rick, speaking low. "When was the last time Carl had pizza?"

He looked down at her and thought about. "I guess before I got shot. Why?"

"I was thinking we could make some. I've got the stuff in the freezer." She said, taking a drink of her soda.

He leaned back a little in his seat and put his arm on the back of the small sofa. "He'll love that."

"I'll go thaw it." She said, putting her soda down and getting up. He glanced at Carl, then got up and followed her to the kitchen. He leaned against the counter, watching her pull a few things from the freezer.

"You think he'll want to help me make it?" She asked, sitting the frozen pizza crusts and pepperoni packets out on the counter.

"You kidding?" He chuckled and she laughed.

"Well, ok then. Should thaw fast." She leaned against the counter and sighed. "I really hope what we did out there keeps us hidden, Rick. We got a good thing going here, and the thought that more people could come scares the hell out me."

He stepped forward and put a comforting hand on the back of her head. "We did a good job, but if they do we'll deal with it." She nodded, staring blankly at the stove. "Hey, cheer up."

"I am." She said, smiling. "Really. I actually think that's why I'm thinking about it."

"What do you mean?" He asked, watching her walk around the counter and sit down at a stool.

"I'm being stupid, forget it." She said, sighing and putting her chin in her hand. Rick bit the inside of his cheek, watching her. He narrowed his eyes and walked slowly around the counter. He got behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, leaning in.

"Well, stop thinking about it." He said and flicked her earlobe. She grinned and swiped at him, but he flicked her other ear and she ducked.

"Quit it." She said, but he just pinched her shoulder lightly in response. "Ah! Quit it!" She laughed as he barraged her with a series of light pokes and prods, and finally she came off her stool and went after him, too. They were like a couple of kids, jabbing and ducking each other, and he worked her till she was stuck in a corner, laughing so hard tears were coming from her eyes. He stopped and put his hand on the wall next to her, looking down.

"Didn't hurt you, did I?" He asked, a small smile still playing around his eyes.

"Huh. If I was a hundred percent, I'd have kicked your ass." She said, jabbing a finger into his chest. He laughed as she pushed his arm away and she shot a playful glare at him as she left the room. Shane was just now coming down the hallway, and he grinned when he saw her, his arms full of clothes.

She got to the washer as he dropped his in the empty spot Rick had put his load. The dryer was done, and she grabbed an empty basket and put the dry clothes in it.

"You want some help?" He asked, watching her.

"Nah. I'm good. I'll bring these to you when they're done, ok?" She said, looking back at him as she unloaded the washer. "We're having pizza for dinner."

His eyebrows went up. "Yeah? Great. What's the occasion?"

She shrugged, grinning at him. "You guys did a kick ass job out there, and the gate's done. Guess I'm feeling good." He smiled and nodded, looking back up at her fondly.

"I'm glad to hear it."

After she put Shane's clothes in, she grabbed the basket of dry clothes and walked them back to her room. She folded them quickly, and noticed a rip in a pair of Rick's pants, below the knee. She got up and went to her closet and grabbed a small sewing kit that had been there when they had arrived. She took it back to her bed and sat down, turning on the music to a good volume and threading a needle. She bobbed her head to Muse as she began to patch the pants.

"I think I got the wrong room. You seen Trouble, because I know you're not her." Ian's voice came from the door and she looked up. He was grinning but looking at her like she was nuts.

"If you have anything that needs fixing or washed, go get it." She said, smiling and going back to the pants.

"Well, see, I don't let my clothes get ripped." He said, drifting in and grabbing the chair nearest to him.

"Figures." She said dryly.

"And I just did my laundry a few days ago, but thanks." He finished, grabbing the decanter of scotch on her table and pouring himself a drink. "When did you become Suzy Homemaker? It's the kid isn't it? He's turning you into a kindergarten teacher."

She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "You wanna come over here and say that?"

He took a drink and widened his eyes over the glass. "Not really."

"Some kindergarten teacher." She said. "I can still outshoot you."

"And drink me under the table, I know. A fact that had left me with many a nice hangover." He said.

"You seem a little more sarcastic than normal." She said, knotting her thread and putting the fabric up to her teeth, breaking the thread. She put the needle away and stood up, folding the pants.

"Maybe a little. Feeling antsy." He said, his head hitting the back of the chair.

"Have fun with that." She said lightly, grabbing Rick's clothes and leaving the room. She let herself into his room and put the folded tee shirts and things on his bed. She went to the closet and began to hang the jeans and pants she'd washed up when she spotted a uniform hanging away from everything else. She pulled the things on front of her away and looked closer. It was his police uniform, she realized, and it was filthy. She took it down, looking at it, and biting her lip. The matching pants were hanging under the shirt on the same hanger, and she grabbed it and left the room.

She looked around before she ducked into Shane's room. She knew the man, he'd have the same uniform hanging in the same place. Sure enough, when she opened the closet, there it was. She grabbed it too and took the two uniforms back to her room. Ian had gone with his glass and she quickly re-threaded the needle with a closely matching thread and began to patch the rips and tears in Rick's uniform. It didn't take too long, she worked fast, and soon she was finishing up Shane's as well. She grabbed them and nonchalantly walked back to the laundry room. She got a tube of stain remover and scrubbed each article carefully, removing the blood and sweat stains as best she could. She looked at the tags and put the washer on the right settings, and started them on a cycle.

While they washed, she folded and put away the rest of Rick and Shane's clothes, and when she finally went back to get them out of the dryer, she had to admit, they looked almost new and they smelled a hell of a lot better. She grinned and got them back to her room. She pressed the seams out carefully and hung them on the clip hangers they were supposed to go on. She quietly took Rick's back to his room and laid in neatly across his bed, and she was doing the same in Shane's room when he walked in.

She jumped when he entered, and he froze when he saw his uniform in her hands. She grinned a little sheepishly. "I found it when I was putting stuff away. You kept it, so I figured you might want to have it nice again."

He stepped forward slowly, taking it from her hands gently and holding it up. He inspected the sharp creases, the fabric free of stains. It smelled like fresh air, and he looked up at her, blinking, his eyes wide. She shifted uncomfortably, it was so hard to tell if he was upset or happy about it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" She began, but she stepped forward and wrapped his free arm around her. He kissed her hair and rested his chin against her head.

"Thank you." He said, and she relaxed against him. He wasn't upset. "This is... you sewed it up?" He pulled back and looked down at her with wide eyes.

"Yeah." She said, nodding. "It didn't take long. It wasn't near as bad as Rick's. His had a huge blood stain across the chest."

His eyebrows went up and he looked at her again with those wide eyes. "You did Rick's?"

"Yeah." She said uncertainly, and he grinned widely.

"He is gonna love this." He said, and stripped his shirt off quickly. "Ha! Man..."

"Oh my god." She stepped back and turned around, shielding her eyes while he changed. He was like a kid, and she chuckled a little as she stared at the wall in front of her.

"What do you think?" He said, and she turned around, her hand still in front of her eyes. She peeked through her fingers and brought her hand down to look at him. He had tucked the shirt in neatly and she had to admit, he looked really good. The short sleeves of the shirt strained against his biceps, and he was looking down at it proudly.

"Wow." She said, nodding appreciatively. "But you don't have a badge."

"Oh." He jumped and went for a bag in the closet. He dug through it and pulled a gold star badge out of it and pinned it to the shirt. "There."

"I'm impressed." She said, grinning. She was happy he liked it, and he was grinning like she'd hardly seen.

"Hey, go get Rick. Take him back to his room." He said, stepping forward quickly, putting his hand on her arm. "He's gonna love this."

She nodded, and watched him disappear into Rick's room when they got into the hallway. She got to the common room and gestured to Rick. "I'm done with your stuff."

"Great." He said, getting up and walking around the couches. He followed her down the hallway. "I really appreciate you doing that. I haven't had the time..."

He trailed off when they got to his door. Shane was standing in the middle of the room, an amused look on his face. Trouble trailed in behind Rick as he went in slowly, and leaned against the wall, watching the two men closely. Rick blinked at Shane, his head tilted a little. She couldn't see his face, but Shane started grinning wider and she assumed it was good.

"She did yours too, man. Sewed 'em up and everything." Shane said, and Rick leaned down, picking his own uniform up. He ran his fingers over where the blood stains had been and down the neatly patched uniform pants, and looked back at her, stunned.

"You did this?" He asked, and she bit her lip.

"Was that ok?"

He looked back down at the uniform, then up at Shane, a deep laugh coming from deep out of his chest.

"I know! This girl, right?" Shane said, his own laugh matching Rick's. Rick actually bent over, he was laughing so hard. When it trailed off, he wiped his face and stepped toward her, wrapping his arms around her.

"It's more than ok. This is... wow." He said, pulling back and holding the uniform up again. He shook his head and looked at Shane. "It looks almost new."

"She's good, man." Shane nodded and went over to her, throwing his heavy arm over her shoulders.

"Trouble, this is amazing. Thank you." Rick said, his grin wide across his face. He stepped forward again and suddenly she found herself sandwiched between the two bigger guys, being hugged tightly.

"If this was all it took to make you two so happy, I'd have done it a long time ago." She said, her breath being squeezed out of her body.

They laughed and stepped back. "You still got your badge, man?" Shane asked and Rick went to his nightstand quickly, pulling a matching one to Shane's out. He pinned it to the shirt and she backed up, out of Shane's arm.

"I'm glad you like it, you guys. That stuff should be thawed out now, I'm going to go see if Carl wants to help me."

They both looked back at her. "I'll be in in a minute. I want to show Carl." Rick said and she slipped out of the room, their excited voices in her ears till she shut the door.

"I can't believe this." Rick said, pulling his clean shirt over the teeshirt he was wearing. He stepped into the bathroom and changed into the pants.

"I know. She's... Man, she's somethin'." Shane said, sitting down on the foot of Rick's bed and running his hand over his longer hair. It was a habit he hadn't lost since shaving it off.

"She sure is." Rick said, walking back out of the bathroom and tucking his shirt into his pants. He didn't want to elaborate. He was sure if he did, Shane would know in a heartbeat that he was every bit in love with the girl that he was.

"And the way she did that gate this morning? She's always rigging something, or fixin' somethin', and she can shoot better than I can." Shane said, shaking his head and putting his chin in his hands thoughtfully.

"And she's good with Carl. You wouldn't think so, to look at her out there, would ya?" Rick said, grabbing his shoes from his closet and spit polishing the scuffed leather best he could. "She can be pretty focused out there. Kinda funny to see her playing video games right after she mows down walkers. She's a lot like you, actually. You were always able to put it away somehow."

"You think that's why we didn't work out?" Shane asked, and Rick looked at him, his eyes drifting back to his shoes.

"Maybe. Is that what you think?"

"Yeah, I guess. I don't know." Shane said, his voice trailing off.

"Come on, let's go see Carl." Rick said, getting up. He would get Shane's mind off it if he could.


	34. You're amazing

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Trouble walked out into the common room and leaned next to the chair.

"Hey Carl, got a surprise for you. You want to pause that and come to the kitchen?" She asked, and the boy nodded excitedly, putting his controller down. He looked up at her proudly as they walked to the kitchen.

"I beat Sam seven times."

"Yeah? That is awesome, dude. I've been trying to do that for ages." She grinned and led him to the counter. "We're having pizza for dinner. I thought you might want to help me make it."

"Yeah!" He said excitedly and rubbed his hands together like T-Dog did. She laughed and pulled a chair over from the small table, and he got up on it on his knees. She put one of the thawed pizza crusts in front of him and went to the cabinet for a can of pizza sauce. She opened it and he started spreading his crust with big spoonfuls of the sauce.

"What's your favorite kind of pizza?" She asked, going to turn on the stove before joining him at the counter.

"Pepperoni." He said, finishing his crust. She took the spoon from him and started to do her own.

"Mine too." She said, noticing Rick and Shane in the doorway. Rick had changed too, and they looked very official standing there. And damn, were they both handsome...

"Hey Carl?" Rick said, and she saw the boy's eyes go wide when he saw the two of them.

"Dad! You got your uniform back!" He said, getting down off the chair. Rick knelt down as he son came close, and he looked down as Carl ran his hand over Rick's shirt and the shiny badge there. Shane stood over them watching, his hands on his hips and a touched, pleased look on his face. His eyes went to Trouble, leaning against the counter and watching them, and he smiled when he saw the wistful, happy look on her face.

"You like it?" Rick asked, smiling at his son.

Carl nodded. "You look like you used to when you went to work. So does Shane." He looked up at Shane.

"Yeah, I guess we do." Shane said, smiling down at the boy.

"Will you wear it for dinner? Trouble and me are making pizza." Carl asked, and Rick grinned, looking up at Shane, who shrugged and nodded.

"Sure. You're making real pizza, huh?" Rick said, standing back up and Carl ran back to Trouble, hopping back up on the chair.

"Yeah, see? We even got pepperoni." Carl said, grabbing at the pile of pepperonis Trouble had put on a paper towel for him. Shane and Rick came closer.

"Look at that." Shane said, smiling.

"You guys want some help?" Rick asked, and she nodded, looking down at Carl.

"I think we can put them to work, don't you?" She asked, and he looked up at her and grinned.

"Shane can set the table." He said and she laughed.

"You heard that, didn't you?" She asked, looking over Shane. He chuckled and grabbed some plates from the cabinet behind her. Rick came up beside them and helped Carl pile the pepperonis up on his pizza, and she started spreading cheese on hers. They moved easily, the four of them, and there was such a comforting presence that fell over the men when they put those outfits on. Like things might be the way they used to be. Shane would steal pepperonis from Carl's pizza and she and Rick laughed at the face the boy made at him after the sixth or seventh as he tried to replace them.

She bumped Shane aside playfully and grabbed the paper towel full of chopped peppers next to the sink and he came up behind her, helping to spread them over the pizza she was working on. They bumped and shoved each other, and Rick stepped in, grabbing some and tossing them in his mouth.

"We're done." Carl announced and she took a look at it and laughed.

"You think you got enough pepperoni?" He had piled it on, covering every inch. "It looks great. Let's get it on a pan and into the oven." She moved around Rick and grabbed two pizza pans from the side cabinet and Shane handed her a non stick spray. She sprayed both pans and Carl and Rick took one, she and Shane took the other. He held it for her as she slid the pie off the counter and onto it. Rick opened the oven door and they put both in.

She grabbed a towel and wiped her hands. Rick had started wiping the counter off and Shane was leaning against the counter behind her, his arms crossed. "Well, Carl. Why don't you do me a favor and go kick Sam's butt a little more. I want to see him crying at dinner." She said evily and he laughed. He started to go, but turned and put his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly.

"Thanks." He said, and in a flash he was out the door, and she didn't miss the look on Rick's face. Like he was so touched he would melt away right in front of her.

"I gotta say, you guys look awesome. Very official." She said, grabbing a pot from beneath the cabinet and filling it almost halfway with water. Rick and Shane came to stand against the counter, grinning and watching her work.

"Thanks to you. Never thought I'd be wearing it again." Rick said, coming to open a can of black olives she retrieved from the cabinet.

"Drain that for me, and slice them in half if you don't mind. Shane, will you get the pasta from that cabinet. It's a little high for me." She sat, turning on the stove under the pot of water.

"What are you making now?" Shane asked as he brought her a box of rotini back.

"Pasta salad. I don't think these pizzas are going to go far." She said, going to the freezer and holding up a package. "And chocolate chip cookies."

"Wow." He said, standing back to she could pass. "What's gotten into you? Wash our clothes, the uniforms, and now dinner."

"I've made dinner before." She said, tearing the package open and grabbing another pan. "You wanna spray that for me, Rick?"

"Yeah, and it was great, but you're going above and beyond here." Rick said, and they looked down at her curiously.

She shrugged. "Felt like it, I guess. I hate being down, you know. I haven't really been able to do much lately. Ian said something too. Called me a 'kindergarten teacher'."

Shane scoffed. "Then I want to go back to kindergarten." Rick laughed, the knife in his hands working fast through the olives."

She grinned and dumped the pasta in the now boiling water and stirred it. She looked back at Shane. "I appreciate that. Will you lay the cookies out on the sheet?" He started putting the frozen pieces of dough on the cooking sheet and she chuckled. "Too close together. You're going to have a single cookie you do that." She said, and took the dough from his hand. She stood close to him, putting the dough a little further apart, and he took over for her again so she could tend to the pasta. When she started making the dressing he was putting the cookies in the oven.

"I thought you said you didn't cook much." Shane said, watching her pour olive oil and vinegar in a jar. Rick finished and pushed the plate of olives over to her. She put salt and pepper in the jar and capped it tightly. "Shake this, Rick. Hard." She said, handing it to him. "I _don't_ cook much. Never said I couldn't. Just always been other things to do, and somebody handling this." She got a large bowl and dumped the cooked pasta in it, rinsing it under cold water and draining it. She dumped the peppers and olives into it and took the jar back from Rick. She poured it over, mixed it, and grabbed a fork.

"To much salt?" She asked, spearing a forkful of the salad and holding it up for Rick, her hand under it to catch any drips. He took the bite and nodded, giving her a thumbs up. She did the same and turned to Shane, feeling his intense eyes on her when he took the bite.

"It's good." He said, and she put the fork in the sink. Rick took the bowl to the table Shane had sat while she got the pizzas out. They were perfect, just starting to turn golden brown, and she brought them to the counter.

"Shane, there's a pizza cutter in a drawer over there. Will you find it for me?"

He turned and dug through a drawer close to him, and came back out with it. She grinned when he handed it to her. She quickly cut the pizzas and he and Rick got those to the table too. "Will one of you call the others while I get the cookies out?" She asked and Rick left the room. "I'll let these cool while we eat." She said, feeling Shane come back up behind her. He brushed her loose hair back, smiling down at her.

"You are amazing, you know that?"

"Thanks, but most of what I just did was premade, and you guys did a lot. You give me too much credit." She raised her eyebrows at him and they heard Rick's voice come over the speakers as he called everyone to dinner. He came back with Carl and the four of them began grabbing waters and sodas and taking them to the table.

Ian and Dean got there first, and Ian gave her a strange look as he walked past her, taking his seat at the table. She smiled at him innocently and saw him run his eyes over Rick and Shane in their uniforms. "You guys should apply to the local force. I hear they're really understaffed." He said in his best serious voice, and she glared at him. He pressed his lips together and took a long drink of the beer he had carried in.

The others came quickly, and everyone was pleasantly surprised to see the unexpected treat. She grabbed her seat as they all dug in.

"Rick, you and Shane look very nice." Hershel said, taking a bite.

"Trouble fixed our uniforms and Carl wanted us to wear them for dinner." Rick said, mussing the boy's hair lovingly.

"Man, you've been on a roll today." Dean said, looking over at her, his mouth full. She shrugged and took a bite.

"You act like I don't do stuff."

"Correction. We're acting like you don't do stuff _like this_. Because you don't." Ian said, chewing.

"Well, Carl really made the pizza, so don't give me too hard a time here." She said, sticking her tongue out at him. "Besides, I plan on being very lazy the rest of the evening." Carl grinned at her and

"Well, I'll take it." T-Dog said, grabbing a second piece of pizza. "Thanks, Carl."

Rick winked in her direction and the chatter turned to other things, blessedly leaving her alone for a while. She ate slowly, feeling her fatigue start to drift over her slowly. She really had gotten a lot done, and she knew she would sleep well that night.

She stood up and went to the counter while they finished their food. She grabbed a plate and put the cooled cookies on it, and brought them back to the table. A round of excited whoops came from the table as she leaned in past Rick and put them in the center of the table. She didn't wait around though, and she and Carol began to clean the empty plates from the table.

"Trouble, I've got this. You look so tired." Carol said, taking a plate from her at the sink.

"Yeah, it's been a busy day." She answered, and stretched a little. Carol shooed her away with a smile and Trouble left the busy kitchen gratefully.

She skipped the usual after dinner and headed to her room after she rechecked the control room cameras. Ian came in while she was brushing her hair out, and stood in her bathroom door. She didn't react to him, and after a moment of silence, he came up behind her and brushed her hair off to the side and kissed her neck.

"So you like kindergarten teachers now, huh?" She asked, stepping around him and into her bedroom. She took a seat on the bed and turned her music back on, Maroon 5, and putting her arms tiredly up over her head.

"You're so cute when you pout." He said, walking to her table and pouring another drink. "I was just making an observation."

"I don't pout, Ian." She said, reaching for her medicine. "I freak out, I kill things, and I come up with ingenious ideas, but I don't pout." He came around her bed and crawled up next to her. She handed the bottle to him and took his glass, taking a sip as he shook out some pills and handed them to her. She swallowed them and handed his glass back to him, watching him do the same. He rested the glass on his chest, his sharp blue eyes looking at her.

"You do, too." He said, putting his glass on the other nightstand and rolling over so he was almost on top of her, being careful for her side. He put his lips against the skin under her ear, running his tongue along it lightly. She put her hand on his strong arm around her and scratched it lightly where she knew the scar from her bullet was.

"Keep it up, Ian..." She whispered warningly.

"Fine. You don't pout. You're the picture of self control." He said, his words mumbling against her skin. She put her fingers in his hair, running them through the dark locks, and brought her mouth down to his.


	35. It's all my fault

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

The next couple of weeks went quickly, for everyone but Trouble. She got a little more tense every day, anxious at the slow healing process her body was going through. They kept her busy enough so it wasn't too obvious, but they knew she was feeling anxious. When she wasn't taking care of business downstairs they could always find her on the roof, staring out into the distance longingly, wishing she could go out.

That why, when she came flying down from the roof one morning after breakfast, a wide smile on her face, they were only half surprised. Rick and Sam were on the couch, and Shane was coming up the hallway, and she whizzed past them at breakneck speed, running into her room and slamming the door.

"What was that?" Shane asked as he entered the common room, and Sam chuckled, shaking his head.

"She's back to full power. I caught her the last two night upstairs looking at the bikes. Ten to one she comes back out here ready to ride."

"She ready for that?" Rick asked. He remembered getting shot. A couple weeks did a lot, but not _that_ much.

Sam looked over at him. "You want to go stop her?" Rick shook his head quickly. "Good. I didn't want to have to bury anybody today. We better load up. You coming, Shane?"

"Yeah, in a minute." Shane said as her door flew back open and she came storming out dressed in tight red leather pants and a long sleeved black shirt. She carried a black leather jacket in her hands, and she'd tied her hair back in a bun. She hit Dean's door and it flew open with a thud, and Shane went to the doorway to watch her.

"Hey! I'm showering here!" Dean's voice came from the bathroom and she grinned, searching his dresser and table tops for the keys to the bike.

"Well hurry! We're taking the bikes out." She said, not finding what she was looking for. "Where the hell are the keys?"

"You'll never find 'em, honey." He yelled back from the bathroom and Shane heard the water turn off. She turned and crossed her arms over her chest. Dean came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, the water still dripping from his bare chest. "Get out! I gotta get dressed."

He sighed and walked toward her, shoving her gently out the door and right into Shane. "Well, hurry up!" She managed to get out before Dean slammed the door behind her. She huffed and looked up at Shane. "He's such a wet towel sometimes."

Shane laughed and followed her back to the control room. She pushed a button and called out. "Hey Glen?"

"Yeah?" They heard his voice come over.

"Wanna go for a ride?" She asked excitedly, and Glen's voice sounded just as excited when he came back.

"The bikes?"

"You got it."

He didn't answer and she looked back at Sam and Rick, loading their weapons. "Oh, good. You're already here. Now if we could just get Dean to move his ass we'd be set."

Glen and T-Dog arrived a moment later. "You ain't goin' without me." T said and she grinned, grabbing a walkie from the desk and tossing it at Sam. He clipped it to his belt and looked up at Dean as he came in.

"Finally." She said and he glared at her, but then broke into a grin. He held up the keys and jangled them away from her. "Do not make me hurt you."

He held them away from her again and she landed a solid punch to his arm. "Ow..." He complained, and when he dropped his hand to rub the spot she had hit, she grabbed the keys from him in a flash of movement.

"I warned you." She said cheerfully, and marched out the door.

"We have really got to do something about her violent tendencies." Dean said, rubbing his arm, and Sam shook his head and followed her.

"She did warn you, dude." He said as he left the doorway. Dean shot a disgruntled look at Rick and grabbed his gun, and the rest of them followed her to the elevator. Rick was trying really hard to hold a laugh in, and he glanced at Shane as they got to the common room. He was biting his lip hard, his shoulders shaking with laughter. She was hilarious when she was all worked up.

Hershel opened the gate for them, and she went directly to the blue bike, leaving Glen to the white one, which by his face, he was more than ok with. They chattered to each other as she slid her leather jacket on and zipped it up, and they wheeled the bikes outside. She grabbed the helmet from the back of the bike and slid it over her head, fastening it under her chin, and Glen did the same. She hopped on her bike as Dean, Shane, T-Dog and Rick went to Dean's large SUV, and it started with a smooth sound, revving for her when she kicked the throttle.

Sam tapped her helmet and they watched her slid the face cover up. He said something to her and she nodded, and Rick was surprised to see him get on the bike behind her, his longish hair blowing in the wind as she took off quickly, Glen close behind her.

"Hope you guys are ready for Hurricane Trouble." Dean quipped and pulled away behind them. Rick watched them closely from his spot next to Dean, and they paused again when they got to the gate. Sam hopped off and quickly turned the electric off the gate and unlocked it. When the SUV was through he locked it again and got back on the bike. She took off again, and Rick saw a puff of smoke and gravel dust fly behind Glen's bike as he followed her.

They stopped again as they reached the street and Sam got out. Dean parked the car and the rest of them piled out and came to stand in a line, shoulder to shoulder in the street. Trouble and Glen took off again to the left and zoomed off down the street, learning the quirks and movements of the bikes. They raced back and forth past the men, and Shane tilted his head at Sam.

"This isn't so bad. Back and forth in a line." He said and Dean laughed.

"Dude, she hasn't started yet." Sam said, grinning, shielding his eyes with his hand as they watched Glen and Trouble stop at the end of the street and talk for a moment. She pointed and they saw Glen shake his head.

"Oh man. She wants to race." Dean said. "Don't do it, brother!" He yelled but Glen didn't hear him. The bikes revved twice, and they heard a squeal of tires on concrete as they took off again. By the time they passed Rick and the others, she was a good two car lengths in front of the young man. They got pretty far down the street and she skidded the bike to a stop sideways and whipped her helmet off, a huge smile on her face. Glen stopped and took his off and she rolled back in her seat laughing. They put their helmets back on and started back toward the others, and she popped a very impressive wheelie as they got to them. She looked like a biker, sleek and leather clad, and extremely hot. Rick heard Shane let out a breath beside him and he shifted where he stood, amused at the happy girl.

"Oh my God, this thing is fucking kick ass!" She almost yelled as she stopped and took her helmet back off. She looked back as Glen pulled up behind her.

"I can't take her man. Did you see that?" He said, pushing the face guard up.

Sam laughed, his arms crossed over his chest. "I know, man. She holds the record for speeding tickets."

"Who's next?" She asked excitedly, and T-Dog stepped forward. "T? Really?" She asked, grinning.

"You think a brother can't ride?" He grinned back at her and pulled the helmet Glen gave him over his head. She took off before he did and he met her down the road. They revved again twice and took off, and though he kept better pace with her than Glen she still beat him. They tried again, and he was better, but she slid almost to the end of the road just before him. They turned and came back, and T stopped in front of them and took his helmet off.

"Just out of curiosity, is there anything she's bad at?" He asked as she whizzed by again.

"She doesn't listen real well." Sam said, watching her go. She stopped at the end of the street and paused, looking over the cars. She didn't move for a minute, but when she did they heard the engine die and she got off the bike and remove her helmet.

"What's wrong?" T-Dog asked just as she ducked and grabbed the bike, pulling it behind a wall. She pressed her back to it and motioned back to them to stay low. Rick and Shane didn't listen well either because they took off running and got to her just as the sound of engines came around the bend in the road ahead.

"Shit." Dean said, and grabbed the walkie. He knew Rick had one too. "Sam, get the truck up to the gate so they can't see it."

Sam hopped in the truck with Glen and Dean and T-Dog got down low on either side of the road. "Rick, what is it?" He called though the walkie.

Rick got down next to Trouble as the cars stopped in front of the barrier they had created. Shane was hunched down in front of her, and she dropped her helmet on the ground and stayed tightly between them and the wall. When Rick heard the walkie crackle on his hip and Dean's voice he waved.

"Inside." She whispered, looking up at him, and he tapped Shane's back. They were blocked by the protruding wall, and she led them into the building behind them. An old office, it turned out to be. Desks and papers scattered everywhere. "Upstairs." She hissed, and they followed her through a door and up a sturdy oak staircase. She opened a door, and they entered a disheveled, messy apartment. Dishes and clothes were scattered around, furniture broken and tossed aside like matchsticks.

"Through that door, we'll be able to see out the windows." She said, grabbing Rick' walkie. "Dean, one car, I don't know how many people. They stopped at the barrier. Get back inside, we're safe."

"I'm not leaving you out there." He hissed back through the speakers.

"Dean, you have to arm the gate. They don't know we're here and we're armed. Just go." she hissed back. "Don't call again, they might hear it."

She opened the door and they stayed low as they got to a busted out window overlooking the street below. Shane held up his finger to his lips, and they could hear, but not see the people from the cars.

"Well, somebody had to do this." A man was saying, and she scooted a little closer to Shane so she could see better. They were obscured by a fallen shade over the window, the kind that let you see out but not see in.

"I know I heard something when we pulled up. There's gotta be somebody over there." Another man said, and she let out a deep breath. This was exactly what she'd been afraid of, drawing attention to themselves.

"Whether there is or not, how do you suggest we get past this fuckin' mess?" A woman with a low gravely voice said, and they heard the thump of feet on metal. A moment later a young man with long hair came stepping over the cars and hit the ground with a dull thud. He took a few steps forward, looking around closely. Trouble turned her head and saw Dean and the others had left the road, and she prayed they wouldn't try to be heroes.


	36. Jules

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

"We could try and move 'em, Betsy." A deep southern accent came from a new male voice and Trouble's shoulders dropped.

"How many fuckin-" She began but Rick clamped a hand over her mouth and came up very closely behind her.

"What for? We just go back down the hill and go the way we were goin' to." The woman, Betsy maybe, said harshly. "There ain't nothin' here. Look at it. Windows all busted out, looted up. Marcus get back here."

The young man that had come into sight stopped looking into the buildings and snapped his head back. "But Betsy, I know their has to be something here." He protested. "Why else would anybody do all that?"

"Well, if there is, they probably watchin' you right now. Where the hell is your gun?" She answered and he pulled a long barrel revolver out of the back of his filthy jeans. "Get back over here."

He started to walk back toward her voice, but he stopped suddenly and they heard a loud slap and a startled cry. Trouble pulled away from Rick's grasp and crawled on her knees to the window to her left. It was covered as well, and she motioned for them to follow her. Shane got to her first, and they put their heads side by side just over the sill, Rick again behind her. They could finally see the intruders, and Trouble pressed her lips together tightly. A burly man with a cigar hanging out of his bearded face stood over a woman on the ground, and she had blood running from her nose. She was large too, flabby and dressed in a flower print sweater that was torn and dirty, and a pair of jeans.

"What did I tell you about bossin' him around? Get up, bitch." He snarled, and took the cigar out of his mouth, looking back at Marcus over the cars. "See what you can find, boy. Allen, go help him."

The woman picked herself up off the ground and wiped at the blood on her face as another man, maybe in his late twenties hopped up on the cars and walked over them, dropping to the ground on the their side. He looked mean, his tiny eyes narrowed and his thin lips curled up into a half moon. They watched the two men start into the buildings on the other side of the street, but turned back when they heard a young girl's voice.

"Stop it!" The child, no older than Carl, came rushing out of the first car, chased by a young man in his early twenties. He was pushing her, tugging at her long, filthy hair, and she was desperately trying to get him off her.

"Betsy, shut that brat up before I do it for ya." The burly man said, and Betsy held her hand to her still bleeding nose, and grabbed the girl by her shoulder and yanked her hard away from the man.

"Shut up, Rose. And leave her alone, Chris." The woman spat out, and the little girl looked at Chris resentfully, rubbing her shoulder where the woman had grabbed her.

"Oh, hell no." Trouble whispered as they started talking loudly amongst themselves, telling the two men who had come over the cars where to go. "What if they come in here?" She looked back at Rick, seeing his mouth set. Abusers set him off, and right now, both the man and the woman, as well as the creep chasing the child had him seeing red.

Shane leaned back, getting low. "If they come in here, we hide. Long as it's just the two of them. If the others come, we fight."

She nodded, feeling Rick press against her back to see.

"Bill, look what I found!" Marcus came back out of the building across the street, waving a pistol. "Don't got no bullets, but it's sure a nice piece." He paused to admire the gun and the burly man, Bill, waved at him impatiently, sticking his cigar back in his mouth.

"Well, put it away, boy! Keep looking. Damn idiot." He said, the last part low but still audible. He turned back to the woman. "Why is that brat still out here, Betsy. Get out of here." He said angrily, stepping past her and shoving the child, who didn't cry, just huddled next to the car, her tiny hands on her legs and her face fearful. The woman actually chuckled, and Trouble felt her vision go almost black. She started to stand, but Rick grabbed her and pulled her back, almost on his lap.

"We'll help her. I promise. Just breath." He whispered in her ear and put his hands on hers, unclenching her fists gently with his fingers. He wrapped his hands around hers and repeated his whisper, and after a moment she took a deep breath and nodded, and he let her up again so they could see. The burly man and his crew drifted around lazily on both sides of the barrier, his obscene language and vile gestures making her cringe against Rick. When she couldn't take it anymore, she leaned forward and whispered to Shane.

"We have to stop them. They're not far away from coming in here, and I'm not letting that child out of my sight."

He sat back and leaned into her, frowning. "I know. Call Dean, have him get everybody ready."

"I guarantee he's already done that." She said quickly.

"Fine. Tell him to bring everybody except T-Dog and Glen. We need to have the gate lit up, and we need them to hold down the fort. Come in quiet, ready to fire on sight, got it?"

She nodded and stayed low, turning around. Rick grabbed her hand and they went into a bathroom off the hall. He closed the door quietly and she put the walkie to her lips. "Dean?"

"Thank god, Trouble. What's going on? I can see the car, and the men over the barrier."

"We're ok. We're upstairs hiding. There's two more men, one woman, and one kid past the barrier." She said, and Rick came up beside her, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly. She put her hand and her forehead against his chest as she held the walkie.

"What do you want us to do?" Dean asked.

"If they come up here we're gonna need you. Leave T-Dog and Glen, have one of them set the fence after you come out and be ready to fire if they come back there. The rest of you come but stay hidden. Take out everybody but the girl. She's by a car past the barrier."

"Got it. Stay low, out of the line of fire. I don't want you getting hit, ok?" Dean said and she sighed.

"Just watch for the girl. I love you." She said. She had the worst feeling about this.

"I love you too. See you in a minute."

She put the walkie down and looked up at Rick worriedly. "God, Rick. _This_ is what I was talking about."

He hugged her tighter, and she breathed deeply against his chest. "We'll take care of it."

"Come on." She said, moving around him and staying low as they left the bathroom. "They're coming. What happened?" She whispered to Shane as she got back to him.

"They're heading to this side of the street, and that other guy came over too." Shane said just as the third guy's voice came from very close below.

"Look at this bike, man! This is all mine." He said and Shane felt her head hit his back in frustration.

"Don't fuckin touch her, you douche." She mumbled and he hushed her, listening for any more sounds. Something slammed downstairs and she felt Rick grab her hand and pull her back. He pushed her under the bed that was cocked in the corner and was about to join her when another sound from outside the door made him back up quickly. He ended up behind the door as it swung open, and the second, mean looking man, Allen she remembered, walked into the room. She looked frantically for Shane from under the bed as the man's feet stomped past her and went through an already torn apart dresser in the corner. He shoved something in his pocket and his feet drew closer to the bed. He grabbed the blankets and threw them aside, grunting in disappointment. She pulled her gun and rolled over just as he grabbed the mattress and flipped it against the wall. His widened when he saw her underneath it, and he reached for his gun, but she already had hers aimed at his forehead and he froze. They didn't say anything to each other as she slid out from under the bed and got up on the other side of it.

"I knew somebody was here. Nobody puts up a block like that unless they're tryin' to protect somethin'." He said, watching her with his slit eyes. He smelled horrible, and she put her other arm up to block her nose.

"Dude. It's called a bath. You are seriously foul." She said disgustedly.

"And you are clean as a whistle. Which tells me you got a place here somewhere." He said and she saw Shane come out from around a door behind him and put his gun against the back of the man's head. Allen's eyes widened and he put his hands up on either side of him. "Don't shoot. We're just passin' through."

"Heard that before. Take out your gun and hold it out to your side." Shane said in a low voice, and the man reached to his hip and took the gun out with two fingers and held it out beside him. Shane grabbed it and Trouble raced around the bed to Rick, who had come out from around the door and aimed his gun at the man, pulling Trouble behind him protectively.

"So, you were waiting for your friends, huh, honey?" He asked and she glared at him from behind Rick. He grinned at her, flashing yellow teeth. "Well, so was I."

She'd screwed up. She'd forgotten the first rule of survival. Remember there are others, so don't turn your back. She felt the knife at her throat before she could process his words and she sucked a sharp breath in. She saw Rick turn around and go pale, and Shane went crazy.

"Let her go, you son of a bitch. I'll kill your boy here." Shane blurted out, shoving his gun into Allen's head further.

"Go ahead. I got what I wanted." She felt hot breath on her cheek and she turned her head away quickly. It was the man who had been chasing the girl. Chris, he had been called, and right now he was using her as a human shield and walking backward, his arm painfully tight around her waist and the cold blade of his knife across her throat. He reached down and grabbed the gun from her hand, wrapping his fingers around it tightly and aiming back at Rick and Shane. They looked panicked, and Rick tried desperately to aim for his head past Trouble. "Baby, we're gonna go on a little ride. Maybe on that sweet bike you got downstairs."

"Get the fuck off me." She said, pushing back against him but he fixed his gun on Rick.

"See, sweetheart. They're not gonna shoot and risk hittin' you, but I will. So shut the fuck up." He growled in her ear, and she met Rick's eyes.

"Chris, you asshole. Get me out of here." Allen said angrily, but Chris laughed.

"Sorry, man. You got yourself into it." He said and drug her through the first set of doors and into the hallway. "Get down the stairs, bitch." He said and she heard a gunshot from the apartment. Chris flipped her around again, putting her between him and Rick and Shane, who had rushed to the top of the stairs, guns aimed at them.

"Chris? What the hell was that? Who's she?" Marcus rushed the door and another gunshot came from outside. Marcus fell with a thud in the door way and now Chris didn't know where to aim. He drug her out into the sunlight and she saw Dean and Ian crouched down behind a car left against the buildings across and down the street a little.

"You got nowhere to go, man. Let her go." Shane said from behind them and Chris spun again, going back and forth between Shane and Rick, and Ian and Dean. She could hear the burly man and the woman screaming at them to drop their weapons, and a gunshot went off behind her from their direction. She took the melee as an opportunity to reach in her coat. Chris wasn't paying much attention to her. She slipped a knife out of her coat and met Dean's eyes. He gave her a little nod and she turned the blade around. With a quick thrust she shoved it backward and felt him let a shot go as he let her go and double over behind her. She hit the ground the moment she was free and rolled toward the building they had come from and right into Rick's reach. He grabbed her and pulled her behind him.

With her out of harm's way, the gunshots started flying. It was impossible to tell from who, but she saw Chris fly back into the dirt, blood spattering from his chest and through his back.

"The girl! Watch the girl!" She screamed and the gunfire stopped. She peeked around Rick but couldn't see the child. She did, however, see the burly man's head bob above the car barrier. "Rick." She pointed and Rick stepped forward a little, ducking again when a gunshot came close.

"Don't fire!" He shouted, and Shane looked over at her, frowning. "I'm puttin' my weapon down! Look!" He stood up, holding his gun over his head. She looked back and saw Ian stand a little, his gun aimed at the man, and Sam was coming out from a building he had ducked behind. She looked back and saw the woman pop up over the barrier and let off a shot. Her heart went into her throat as the gunshots resumed and Shane pushed her against the wall with his back, he and Rick firing into the barrier. She worked past Shane a little and looked toward Sam just in time to see him dive behind the car Ian and Dean were at.

They didn't come back up and she looked back in confusion. The burly man grunted as a bullet hit him in the face the next time he came back up, and she saw him slide down the cars and out of sight, the majority of his face gone. The woman screamed in fury and exposed herself, and Trouble saw Shane level his gun and hit her in the neck. She flew back and the air went deathly silent.

For a second.

She heard Sam almost through a haze. "Just hold still, man. It's going to be ok." He was saying and she stood up quickly. No, the thought hit her brain like a bullet itself and she took off running toward the car. She slid to her knees as she got around it, and saw Sam and Dean kneeling over Ian, pushing on his chest. "Just stay still, Ian." Sam was saying and she crawled to Ian's head as he was saying her name.

"Ian, I'm here. Oh my god." She got down on her stomach and held his head against hers, looking into his eyes. She felt the tears pouring over her cheeks and they sprinkled across his forehead as he looked up at her. She looked down and saw Sam trying to put pressure on the wound in his chest, but Ian's blood was pouring through his fingers.

"Just stay with me, Trouble." He mumbled and she put her forehead to his again.

"I'm here, Ian." She said, crying. "I'm not going to leave you."

"Stay with me." He repeated. He was in shock, he didn't know what he was saying, but suddenly his eyes cleared and he looked at her with such clarity she stopped breathing. "I love you. I've always loved you."

"I love you too." She whispered, pressing her lips to his. He kissed her back, but then his lips stopped moving and she pulled back, swallowing hard. His eyes had closed. "Ian? Ian!" She screamed, putting her head back on his, pounding his chest with her fist. Sam moved around behind her and pulled her away, and she saw Dean in front of her, sitting back with his head in his hands. She looked up at Sam frantically. "Not Ian. Please, Sam."

"I'm sorry, baby." He wrapped her in his arms and buried his head in her neck, but she only felt anger rush through her body and she almost screamed.

"She did it." She hissed, and Sam pulled back as she fought her way out of his arms and took off running toward the car barrier where she could see Rick and Shane standing on the other side. She threw herself up on the car and ran across the tops. Rick and Shane looked back at her as she hit the ground and skidded to a stop in front of them. They knew what had happened, she could see it in their faces, but the woman was still alive and they'd come to disarm her. She laid in front of them, a hole in her neck and gurgling blood from her mouth. Trouble grabbed the gun from Rick's hand and got on her knees, pressing it between the woman's eyes. She looked at Trouble terrified and unable to speak.

"You killed him, you stupid bitch. I should hang you upside down from a tree and let the walkers eat your face." She growled from between her teeth, and Rick got down next to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Trouble, stop. Stop for a minute." He said softly, and she shook her head.

"She killed Ian."

"I know. But there's a little girl in a car a few feet away and she's terrified. She won't come out for me, but she might for you. Put it away for a minute and remember how much you wanted to help her, ok?" He said calmly, much more calmly than he felt, and he saw he swallow. She turned her head to the car, and looked back down at the woman. Her trigger finger tensed again, but Rick ran his hand down her arm and onto the gun gently. "Trouble, get the girl out of here, and I promise, I'll take care of this one. I swear."

She looked at him, then up at Shane. He nodded at her, his face grim, and she licked her lips. "Bring Ian back. Bring him home."

"We will." Rick said. Slowly she released the tight grip she had on the gun and Rick worked it out of her hands. She looked down at the woman in disgust and grabbed her greasy hair in her bloody hand.

"I hope you rot in hell, you bitch." She hissed and moved back, standing up and walking around the car. She moved with purpose, automatically, but Rick saw her face soften when she looked through the window. They listened as she opened the door slowly.

The child was huddled almost under the seat. She was so thin she could almost fit, and Trouble took a deep breath and got on her knees outside the door.

"Hey Rose." She said softly. The girl peeked around her arms over her face, her terrified eyes looking back at Trouble. "My name is Trouble."

"Are you going to hurt me?" The girl asked in a whisper.

Trouble shook her head hard. "No. I'd like to take you somewhere safe, if that's ok."

The girl licked her lips, swallowing hard. "Are they dead? Betsy and Bill?"

Trouble dropped her head. "Was that your mom?"

Rose shook her head. "No. They killed my momma."

Trouble felt the breath go out of her. Oh God. "Rose, they're gone now. Will you come out, let me take you home?" The girl shifted a little, unwrapping her thin arms around her knees and sitting up. "Good. Good, Rose. I promise, you're going to be safe now, ok? Just come toward me and I'll take you home." She put her arms out and Rose looked down at her hands. She didn't seem to be phased by Ian's blood on her, she put a hand out and took Trouble's.

Trouble helped her inch out of the car slowly. "Ok, now I want you to do me favor, ok, Rose? Can you do that?" The girl nodded and Trouble smiled. "I want you to close your eyes tight, ok? And don't open them again until I tell you, ok? You might hear some more loud bangs, but we're going away from here."

She nodded and Trouble picked her up, feeling the little girl wrap herself around her neck tightly, her legs around Trouble's waist. She looked down and saw the little girl squeeze her eyes shut and bury her face in Trouble's neck. She stood up and turned around to look at Rick and Shane. Rick nodded to her, his face so sad, and she fought back a sob. She held the child tightly and walked to the barrier.

"Rose..." The bleeding woman croaked almost silently, and Shane lifted his foot, kicking her in the head.

"Shut up." He said, looking back at Trouble as she walked away. He took a deep breath and looked at Rick, who was standing, running a hand over his face.

"Rose, we have to climb over the cars, ok, but look down, and when we get over them I want you to close your eyes again, ok?"

"Ok." Rose said, allowing Trouble to help her up onto the cars. They made their way, hand in hand, over the vehicles and Trouble hopped down first, picking the child up again. She held her tightly and Rose put her face back in her neck again. Trouble looked back down at Ian's still body on the ground. Sam and Dean stood as she neared, and the three of them walked away from the bloodbath in the street silently, Trouble and the child leading the way. They were up the road, halfway to the gate when they heard the next gunshots from the street.


	37. Gaining a lost trust

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself. Anyway, it just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernatural's Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

T-Dog let them through the gate, his heart breaking when Trouble walked through with blood stained hands and a terrified child in her arms. Her tear streaked face told him something had gone very wrong, and it only took one look at Sam and Dean's dazed expression to tell him it was Ian. Ian was gone. He shut the gate back again and Trouble dropped to her knees just past them.

"Rose, you can open your eyes now. We're home." She said softly, and the child opened her eyes and released her tight grip on her neck.

"It's a field." She said, looking around, and back down at Trouble in confusion.

"My house is right over there. I just wanted to talk to you first."

Rose looked at the three men behind them and stepped even closer to Trouble. "Who are they?"

Trouble looked back at them. "That's Sam. That's Dean. They're my cousins. And that's T."

Rose looked at T closely. "Is he your cousin, too?"

"He's my friend." Trouble said and T got down on one knee next to them. Rose ducked away from him and threw her arms around Trouble's neck again. "Don't be afraid. He's not going to hurt you, Rose. Nobody is, ever again." T-Dog got the cue, and she nodded at him as he got up and stepped away.

"Rose, there are more people in the house, but I need to be brave, ok? They are all my friends, they're good." Trouble said, and Rose nodded.

"Are you going to leave me?" She asked, her eyes widening in fear.

Trouble shook her head. "No, I won't. I promise." She picked the child up again and turned to T-Dog. "Rick and Shane will be coming."

"I'll take care of it." He said, and she turned and started walking toward the house. Dean came with her, but Sam stayed with T-Dog. The gate slid open for them when they got to the house, and Rose buried her head in Trouble's neck again, trembling in her arms.

Rick watched as the woman's eyes widened when he pointed the gun at her head. He pulled the trigger without emotion. She had killed Ian, broken Trouble's heart, and there was no coming back from that. Shane had moved over the car barrier and dropped one of the men who had woken up. Rick followed and they put a bullet in the head of each body. When they got to Ian, Rick ran his hand over his face again. The young man looked calm, peaceful, his dark hair falling over his eyes and his blue eyes closed in sleep forever.

"Do it in the back, so they don't see it." He said, and Shane fired quickly, before Ian could wake up. They picked his body up and put it over Trouble's bike, wheeling it back to the house.

"She's going to blame herself." Rick said as they walked.

"It wasn't her fault." Shane said simply.

"We're going to have to make sure she knows it. She loved him."

"I know." Shane said grimly. He'd never liked Ian, but seeing the guy like this, knowing how badly Trouble was hurting. It was going to be torture to watch.

"And the girl?" Rick said. "She's been abused. She's scared."

"She's focusing Trouble. She was going to kill that bitch before you reminded her the girl was there."

"I hope she does. Trouble's going to go off the deep end if she doesn't find an outlet. Did you see the way the girl went to her?"

"Yeah." Shane nodded, turning the bike up the gravel road. "She trusts her."

"Everybody does. It's just her, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." Shane said and they finished the walk silently. Sam was waiting with a tarp when they got to the gate. T-Dog let them through and locked the gate, turning the switch on and followed them as they put Ian on the ground and wrapped him tightly. They laid him inside the lobby and parked the bike, and when they got down to the common room, Sam went right for his brother.

Dean got into the common room and Trouble saw him go to the wall and slide down it, his head in his hands again. She had to focus on Rose, though, and she carried the child to her room. When she closed the door and Rose saw they were alone she relaxed a little, and even let Trouble put her down. She looked around the room with wide eyes, and followed Trouble to the bathroom. She put the child up on the sink and washed her hands, her tears falling as Ian's blood ran down the drain. She sniffed and grabbed a washcloth, running it under the warm water. She brought it to Rose's face and wiped the grime and dirt away, uncovering a fresh purple bruise on her cheek.

Rose put her hand up and on Trouble's cheek, wiping away the tears, and Trouble looked at her, surprised. She paused and looked at the girl.

"Why are you crying?" She asked, and Trouble went back to washing her up.

"Because you got hurt by those people. And because they hurt someone I love too."

"Like my momma?" Rose asked, and Trouble nodded, using the back of her hand to wipe her nose. She sniffed and looked back up at the girl.

"How old are you?"

"Seven and a half." She answered proudly and Trouble smiled.

"You're a big girl. One of my friends out there is ten. Carl. Maybe you can be friends."

Rose looked startled and Trouble spoke quickly. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I just thought, someday."

"Am I staying here?" Rose asked.

"I'd like you too. I can keep you safe." Trouble answered, uncovering another bruise on the child's arm.

"In here?" She asked, again looking anxious.

"Would you like to?" She nodded and Trouble nodded back. "Ok, then."

"I'm glad you found me." She said softly and Trouble almost broke down again. A tear ran down her cheek and Rose frowned. "Please don't cry."

Trouble forced a smile. "I'm sorry, Rose."

"My name's not really Rose." She answered, and Trouble stopped again. "It's Juliana, but Bill says that's ugly. They just called me Rose."

"Juliana is a beautiful name." Trouble said, her eyebrows furrowing together in frustration. "I love Juliana."

"Momma called me Jules." She said sheepishly and Trouble smiled.

"Jules it is. If you want." She said and the girl nodded quickly, happy to have her name back. "Well Jules. How long has it been since you had a proper bath?" She was getting almost nowhere with the washcloth.

"A really long time." Jules answered and Trouble nodded. She turned and plugged up her tub and pulled the shower curtain away. She quickly ran a warm bubblebath, using some suds she had on the ledge. It foamed up quickly, and she shut the water off and turned back to the girl. "Do you want some help, maybe with your hair. It's really long." She said, running her hand over the girl's tangled and greasy blond hair.

"Ok." Jules said and Trouble helped her off the sink and leaned down to unbutton the little flower print shift dress the girl wore. She stepped out of it and Trouble pulled her worn out shoes and socks off, helping the girl step into the bath. "It's warm!" She said, sitting down and looking up at Trouble in amazement.

"That's not all we have here. We have food. A lot of it." She said and the girl's eyes went wide. She was obviously nearly starved out there. Bill and Betsy had probably kept anything good for themselves, as fat as they both were. "And we have movies and games. We have a lot of fun." She helped the girl lean back and she began to lather her hair with her shampoo. She rinsed it well and put some conditioner in it too, to help her get the tangles out later.

"When we're finished with the bath, can we get some food?" Jules asked and Trouble nodded, rinsing her hair again.

"Sure." A knock came at the door and Jules jumped, grabbing Trouble's hand. "It's ok, Jules. Hold on, ok? Yes?" She called out and she heard Carol's voice from her bedroom. "Hold on, Carol."

She turned back to Jules, who's eyes had filled with that fear again. This poor child had really been worked over, she thought. "Jules, that's Carol. Is it ok if she comes in? She's my friend, too."

Jules swallowed and ducked behind Trouble, but she gave a little nod and Trouble smiled. "It's really ok. We're in here, Carol." She called out and Carol stepped into the bathroom timidly.

Trouble looked up and Carol smiled sadly at the little girl cowering in the tub. "I didn't mean to bother you, I just heard she was here and I... well, I still have Sophia's clothes." She said, holding out a small bundle. "I thought they might fit."

"Thank you. I was just wondering what we were going to do about that." Trouble gave her a sad smile. "Are you sure?"

Carol nodded. "I'd actually really like to see them again, being worn."

"That's really great, thank you, Carol." Trouble said, and Jules peeked out from around her. "Carol, this is Jules."

"Hi Jules. I'm Carol. Can I make you something to eat?" Carol asked and Jules looked at Trouble for the answer.

"That would be nice, right Jules? She's pretty hungry."

"Well, I'll take care of that. I'll be back in a minute." Carol said and left the bathroom. Trouble heard her door shut and she smiled at Jules.

"See? Carol's awesome. She makes our food most of the time. She's a really good cook."

She put some soap on a washcloth and Jules took it, washing the rest of her quickly. When she stood up Trouble had a fluffy towel waiting and wrapped her in it, using another one to dry her hair. Jules finished drying off and Trouble handed her a pair of underwear and helped her put a little pink tee shirt with a unicorn on the front over her head. She helped her pull a soft pair of pink pants on and took her out to the bedroom. She sat her up on the bed and took a wide hairbrush off her nightstand, running it through the girl's waist length blond hair. Clean, it was almost identical to her own.

A soft tap came at the door and Carol's head poked through. She brought in a tray and carried it to the bed, putting it in front of Jules. "Do you like macaroni and cheese, Jules?" She asked, and the child nodded quickly, pulling out of Trouble's hands and diving for the plate. She ate so fast it was sad. In a few minutes, she had finished the macaroni, the mashed potatoes, and gone for the ice cream Carol had put off the side in a little bowl. "Wow, you must have been hungry." Carol said, her eyes going to Trouble. "I'm sorry, Trouble. I heard what happened."

Trouble nodded, her eyes filling with tears again. "Will you stay with her a minute, Carol? I need to talk to... you know."

"Of course." Carol said and Trouble turned back to Jules.

"Jules, I'm going to step right outside that door for just a minute, but Carol is going to stay with you, ok? I promise, I'll be right back." She said, and Carol must have garnered some favor with her because she gave a reluctant nod, and Trouble brushed her cheek. "Ok, I'll be right back. Thanks Carol."

"They're in the hallway." Carol said, sitting down in Trouble's place. She nodded, and opened the door, slipping out.

Rick and Shane, true enough, were in the hallway, sitting across from each other. They jumped up when they saw her, and Shane wrapped her in a tight hug. She put her arms around him too, and wiped away a tear.

"Did you bring him back?" She asked softly, pulling back after a minute.

"Yes." Rick said, hugging her too. She leaned against him and looked up at the two of them.

"Did he... you know." She asked and they both shook their heads quickly. She didn't want to even imagine Ian waking up, and she was grateful. "Please tell me she suffered." She said, her voice going from soft and sad to vicious in a second.

"A lot." Shane answered, just as angry.

"Good. Fuckin bitch. How's Sam and Dean?"

"Currently on their second bottle of Jack." Shane answered and she sighed.

"That means they'll get through this. If they weren't, then I'd be worried." She rubbed her face with her hands. "She's 7. They killed her mother, took her. She's covered in bruises, scared to death and starved. She's in there with Carol now." They shifted angrily, and their faces went red.

"It was too good, what they got." Rick spat and hit the wall with his palm.

"Her name is Juliana. They changed it, can you believe that?" She said, her face disgusted. "She won't see anybody, she's terrified of men. I can only imagine what happened there." Shane looked at the ground, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I've got to get back, she won't let me out of her sight. Tomorrow morning I'll try and get her to come out. But stay with Sam and Dean. Watch them, make sure they're ok. And in the morning, get rid of those bastards' car, burn the bodies. I don't fuckin care, just make sure they go to hell and stay there."

"Yeah, we got it. But, are you gonna be ok?" Rick asked, his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll let you know that when I figure it out. Thank you both." She said, hugging him tightly, then moving to Shane and hugging him, too. "I'll see you guys in the morning."

They watched her slip back into her room and they looked at each other grimly. Silently, they went back to the common room and did as she asked, their brains turning and spinning with anger and sympathy for what these three people, and the little girl, had lost.

Carol picked up the empty tray when Trouble came back, and smiled when she saw the relieved look on Jules' face. "Do you want more?" She asked and Jules shook her head. "I'll make you a big breakfast tomorrow, ok?"

"Thanks, Carol." Trouble said and sat down next to Jules on the bed. The little girl scooted back and curled up next to her, and Trouble pulled the thick, soft sheets and comforter over them both. She laid there and stroked the child's hair, her arms around her tightly.

"Is your name really Trouble?" She asked and Trouble smiled against her hair. She smelled good, like vanilla.

"Yup." She said.

"It's a funny name."

"Yeah, I guess it is. But it's what everybody's always called me."

"Do you have another name?"

"I never told anybody what it was, but I guess I can tell you." Trouble said, breaking her one tried and true commitment to herself. "My real name is Amy."

"You have a fake name, too? Like me?" Jules asked, looking up at her. Trouble leaned back and turned the corner of her mouth up.

"I guess I do. But I like Trouble. It fits me." She said, and the little girl snuggled in close to her again. "Get some sleep Jules. Do you want me to leave the light on?"

"Mm-hmm." Jules nodded and Trouble stroked her hair till she fell asleep. When she was out, breathing deeply, Trouble held her tightly and cried silently, thinking of her Ian.

The next morning came quickly. Trouble had cried herself to sleep so hard that she hadn't dreamed. But Jules had. Trouble woke up when the child cried out, tears staining her face and shirt.

"Jules? Jules, baby, wake up. It was a dream." She said, rubbing the girl's face and hair. Her eyes flew open and she grabbed Trouble tightly in her little hands. "Hey, hey I'm right here Jules. Breath, ok?"

The child calmed down, her eyes no longer flicking about the room, panicked. She swallowed hard and looked up at Trouble. "I had a nightmare. That Bill came back and got me. I wanted to stay with you."

"That man is never going to touch you again. He's gone. We got rid of him." Trouble said firmly, and Jules relaxed against her. She looked back at the clock and saw it was 7. Carol would be getting breakfast ready soon. "Do you want to sleep any more? Or should we get up? Breakfast will be soon."

"I don't want to go back to sleep."

"Ok. We'll get up. Is it ok if I get a shower, though. I'll just be right there in the bathroom, ok? I'll even leave the door open." She said, and grabbed the remote. "And while I'm doing that, you can watch tv."

"You have tv?" Jules asked, astonished.

"We have movies and shows. What do you like to watch?"

"iCarly." Jules said. Trouble had never heard of it, but sure enough, there it was on her list. She turned it on and got up, going to her bureau and grabbing some clothes. She got a quick shower, and brushed her teeth. She got dressed in a long sleeved black shirt and her favorite shorts, and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still a little puffy and they looked flat, dead. Her heart was in shatters in her stomach, but she took a deep breath. Jules, Sam, and Dean, they needed her right now.

"I have to go to the bathroom." Jules said from the door and Trouble jumped a little.

"Sure." She said, leaving the bathroom. Jules left the door open, afraid to be alone, and Trouble brushed her hair out in her bedroom.

"Your hair looks like mine." Jules said, coming in and looking up at her.

"Yeah, it does. I noticed that." Trouble said, going back in the bathroom and grabbing her hair dryer. Jules watched from the door as she quickly dried her hair. She was going to put it up but she looked down at Jules, her long hair falling in tendrils around her face, and she saw hers was doing the same. She left it down. "Here's a toothbrush, Jules." She said, opening her drawer and grabbing a new toothbrush. She opened the package and stood in the door while the girl brushed her teeth. "You can keep it with mine." Trouble said, putting it in the cup hers was in.

"You hungry?" She asked and Jules nodded. "Breakfast is right out there, and Carol will be there. Don't be afraid, and you will be right beside me the whole time. I won't leave you for a second."

Jules looked reluctant, but Trouble smiled. "Have you ever made a pinkie promise?"

"No." Jules said, looking confused and Trouble put her hand up, her fingers folded and her pinkie out.

"This is the most solid, have to do it or else kind of promise. It means you can trust me. Hold your hand like this." Jules did it and Trouble linked their pinkies. "I promise, you go out there with me, you're only going to find nice people, they won't hurt you even a little bit. And I'll be there all the time."

Jules nodded and Trouble took her hand. She opened the door and they stepped into the hallway. Jules was almost attached to her side as they walked through the empty common room and toward the kitchen. When they neared the voices in the kitchen, Jules hid behind her, and Trouble prayed everyone would not scare her any more than she already was.


	38. Keeping it together

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself. Anyway, it just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernatural's Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Dean wasn't there, but Sam was. Slumped in his chair and pushing food around on his plate. Rick put a hand on Carl's shoulder when they entered, and everyone else got quiet, watching as Trouble moved carefully around the table, her hands behind her and Jules' little hands knotted in her shirt sides. She peeked around Trouble, and Shane almost fell out of his chair. They were almost identical, matching long blond hair, slender faces, and though the child's eyes were blue to Trouble's green, they were the same shaped. She could have been Trouble's daughter.

"Right here, Jules." Trouble said softly sitting down and pulling Anna's chair close to her. She didn't have the stomach to touch Ian's. Not yet. The little girl huddled in close to her and Trouble got a plate and dished some eggs and bacon out on it.

"Everybody, this is Jules." Trouble said, giving the girl a fork. She avoided their eyes and took several quick bites, staying close to her. Trouble gave them all a look to go on eating and the chatter started back up slowly, their eyes drifting back to the scared little girl.

Shane scooted closer at the table, and he was closest to Jules. She squealed and buried her face in Trouble's side. "Hey, it's ok. Remember our promise?" She hugged the girl close and she nodded, her forehead still against her side. "Look up, Jules. That's Shane. He's nice."

"Hi Juliana." Shane said softly, looking down at the girl. She looked at him with wide eyes, and Trouble understood. He was big to her, she could only imagine what he looked like to her.

"Hi." She whispered, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Trouble's takin good care of you, huh?" He asked and she nodded, hugging Trouble closer.

"Hi Juliana." Carl called from the end of the table and her head snapped over to him. She looked up at Trouble.

"I told you about Carl, remember? And that's his dad, Rick. And there's Sam, and T, you saw them before. Carol made your breakfast there, and that's Hershel. He's a doctor. And Maggie, his daughter, and Glen." Trouble pointed everyone out and handed the fork back to Jules. She took it and dug in again silently.

Rick leaned down to Carl. "She's shy. After breakfast, why don't we see if she wants to see your games?"

"Yeah." Carl nodded, looking back down at Jules and frowning with concern. Rick glanced at Trouble, and watched her whisper to the child, encouraging her to look around. She was magnificent, and, like Shane, we marveled at how much she and the girl looked alike.

Trouble couldn't handle the thought of food, and she drank her coffee, watching Jules eat and brushing her hair back from her face. She sighed and looked up, seeing Rick staring at her. She gave him a weary flick of her eyebrows, hoping it conveyed the utter blank her mind was in. He nodded and gave her a small smile.

When breakfast was over, Trouble scooted back in her chair but stayed seated while everyone else got up. Carl walked around the table and approached Jules, and she went flying out of her chair into Trouble's lap.

"Amy!" She said, burying her head in Trouble's neck, and she winced as Sam dropped his fork and snapped his head up at her. Rick and Shane looked confused, and the people left in the kitchen got quiet.

"Carl, she's a little tired right now. Give me a minute and I'll bring her to the tv, and we can talk a little." She smiled at him and he nodded and left the room. She hugged the girl and met Sam's eyes over her shoulder. He was staring at her like he'd never seen her before. He hadn't heard her real name in years, and he knew she never used it. To hear it was... startling. Trouble silently got up, Jules wrapped firmly around her, and carried her away.

"Did she just call Trouble 'Amy'?" Shane asked after she left, and Sam looked back down at his plate.

"Yeah." He said.

"Why?" Rick asked and Sam stood up quickly, grabbing his plate.

"It's her name." He said and left the room quickly.

"Did you know that?" Shane looked at Rick. He shook his head and they got up and followed the others out of the kitchen, T-Dog close behind while the others stayed to help Carol clean up.

Trouble carried Jules to the common room and sat down on the loveseat, but when the others emerged from the kitchen she started trembling so badly that she was forced to return to her room with the girl. She held her and praised her for being so brave, and she eventually felt the exhausted child drift off to sleep against her chest. She snuggled her and stroked her hair, her own brain feeling deep fried.

Her door opened softly and she saw Rick's head poke through carefully. He was ready to run if Jules had another fit, but when he saw Trouble holding her, and the child in a deep sleep against her, he stepped in.

"Hey." He whispered, and she moved her legs so he could sit down. "How is she?"

"Exhausted. She had a nightmare last night." She said softly, her fingertips running down the girl's hair.

"She's been through a lot." Rick said and Trouble nodded, resting her chin on Jules' head and looking into the distance. Rick had the vague feeling that if the girl wasn't here, she would be in Dean's room drinking herself into oblivion. "So have you." He said, reaching out and touching her leg. She looked back at him and her eyes fell to the floor. He leaned forward and brushed Jules' hair back over her shoulder, smiling at her peaceful little face.

"How can people do this stuff to a little kid?" Trouble asked, looking at him angrily. "You should see the bruises she's got."

"I wish I knew. Used to make me so mad, going to somebody's house on a call and finding this. But she's got you now." He said, sitting back. Trouble's eyes welled up with tears and she nodded.

"God help her. Looking to me."

"I can't think of a better place to look." He said seriously and she felt the tears spill over her cheeks. She laid Jules gently against the pillows and pulled the comforter up under her little chin. She looked back at Rick and he moved forward, letting her put her face into his chest, and he held her tightly as the racking convulsions shook her body. She cried hard, but kept her noise at a minimum. Rick wished he could take her back to his room and really let her get it all out, but if the girl woke up and she wasn't there it would be bad.

Trouble eventually leaned back a little, and he brushed her face free of tears. She sniffed and he grabbed a tissue from a box next to her, giving it to her. She settled against him again and wiped her face.

"It was Ian, Rick. What am I supposed to do now?" She asked softly, and he shook his head, tightening his grip on her.

"Cry. Scream and yell if you want. It shouldn't have happened."

"It happened because I wanted to go out riding."

"He wasn't even there when you were riding." He said, looking down at her and frowning.

"No, I got out there and got stuck behind that wall. I shouldn't have been out there."

"Trouble, you want to live, and that's what you were doing. You were doing something you loved and you have that right. He died because an abusive son of a bitch and his people killed him, not you. And you saved her life. She gets to grow up now." He said, putting his hands on her shoulders and holding her in front of him. She looked back at the sleeping girl and pressed her lips together.

"Maybe I am turning into a kindergarten teacher, like he said." She said, laughing a little through her tears, and he pulled her into his arms again.

"I think you're an angel." He sighed, his eyes flicking down at her. "Amy."

She pulled back and narrowed her eyes at him. "Hey, watch it."

"What? It's pretty. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"It hasn't been my name for a long time, but she thought Trouble was funny sounding." She said and he chuckled, wiping her face again.

"It sure sent Sam into a tailspin." He said, and she shook her head.

"It just surprised him. He's got bigger things to worry about." She ran her hands back through her hair and let out a deep breath. "Are you going out to get rid of them?"

"Yeah, soon as I get back out there." He said and she grabbed his shirt in her hand.

"Be careful. Get back here and find me. I need to know you're all safe."

"I will. Take care of her and I'll come see you as soon as we get back, ok?" He said, kissing her forehead. He stood and she watched him go anxiously. She wouldn't be able to relax until they were all safely locked back in the house.

Jules woke up an hour later, and looked around, panicked, until she realized she was alone with Trouble in her room. "Hey, how do you feel?"

Jules sat up and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Thirsty."

Trouble reached around behind her and grabbed a bottle of water, taking the cap off and handing it to the child. She downed half of it and went to the bathroom again. Trouble got up and went to the stack of clothing Carol had left while she was sleeping. She picked out a pair of blue jeans and a blue tee shirt, and when Jules came back out of the bathroom Trouble held them up for her to see.

"Carol brought you some more clothes. I thought you might want to change."

Jules came and looked at the clothes. "Why does she have this?"

"They were her daughter's." Trouble answered. She didn't feel the need to lie to the girl, she'd already been through so much.

"What happened to her?"

"Well, she went to Heaven." Trouble answered, feeling that was the most gentle way to put it.

"Oh. That's sad." She said softly, her fingers leaving the fabric of the shirt.

"She wanted you to have these though. It would mean a lot to her if you wore them." Trouble said and Jules nodded. She helped her get the pink tee shirt off and put the blue one over her head. The blue jeans came next, and Trouble was pleased to see they fit her. Carol really was a lifesaver.

"Let's go back out. I think Carl really wants to see you. He's been asking about you." Trouble said and the girl grimaced. "What? He's a real sweetheart. You're gonna love him."

"I don't have to talk if I don't want to?"

Trouble shook her head. "No, but I think it might hurt his feelings a little."

"And you'll be there?"

"Every second." Trouble went to her closet and grabbed a blanket. "How about this. We take this blanket and you can cover up with it. If you don't want to see anybody, you just put it over your head."

"Yeah." She seemed a little more comfortable with that idea, and Trouble led her into the hallway. Carl was with Maggie in the common room, Carol was bustling around making dinner in the kitchen, and Jules hid behind Trouble as she made her way to the couch nearest to Carl. She sat down and smiled at Carl as Jules crawled up into her lap and covered herself with the blanket. Carl looked at her funny and she winked at him, and he turned back to playing with Maggie. Jules heard them playing and laughing, and gradually she dropped the blanket till her eyes were peeking over the top. Fifteen minutes into it she had the blanket down around her waist and she was inching her way closer to Carl and watching the screen intently. She looked back at Carl and when she spoke, Maggie's mouth dropped.

"What are you playing?" She asked softly, and Trouble heard the elevator doors open behind her. She turned quickly and put her finger to her lips as Rick, Shane, T-Dog and Glen entered. Rick's face spread out into a grin when he saw Jules talking to Carl. T-Dog and Glen slipped past them and to the control room, and Rick and Shane grabbed the chairs behind them silently.

"It's a car racing game. See, you just use this button to go." Carl dove right in, explaining the game to Jules, and she removed herself completely from Trouble's lap and stood beside him, looking down at the controller. Trouble got up quietly and went to Rick and Shane.

"How'd it go?" She asked, and Rick nodded.

"Good. Tossed the car off the cliff, sent the bodies after it. You can't tell anyone was ever there." He said and she nodded, leaning against his chair.

"And you guys, no problems?"

"In and out. How'd you do that?" Shane asked, pointing at Jules and Carl.

"She did it on her own. She just has to feel safe." Trouble said, right as Jules turned her head away from Carl to look at her. She was smiling but it quickly faded when she didn't see Trouble on the couch.

"Jules." Trouble said, dropping to one knee as Jules ran to her and threw her arms around her neck. "I didn't go anywhere. I promised you I wouldn't." Trouble looked up at Rick and gave him a helpless look. "Hey, look, I just wanted to talk to Rick and Shane. It's ok, Jules." She rubbed the girl's hair and held her tight.

"You don't have to be scared, that's just my dad." Carl came up from behind her and she pulled her face out of Trouble's neck and looked at him. She looked down as Carl held him little hand out to her, to Trouble astonishment, Jules actually took it. Carl stepped forward and Rick got off the chair and moved next to Trouble on the floor. He smiled as Carl led the girl forward a little. "See? He's cool."

Rick spoke softly. "Hey Juliana. It's nice to meet you." Shane watched them work with the girl, and he flashed Trouble a smile when she glanced up at him.

"Amy?" Jules said, holding Carl's hand but looking to her for reassurance. To help answer her question, Trouble held out a hand and Rick took it.

"Rick won't hurt you, Jules. Nobody here will. They're my friends."

Jules pressed her lips together, her little mind trying to hard to tell if she was being misled again, but finally she nodded and gave Rick a small smile. "Hi." She whispered. Rick grinned widely.

"He's a police officer." Carl said and she looked at Rick with wide eyes.

"You are?"

"Yup." Rick said, nodding.

"Do you shoot bad people?" She asked curiously, letting go of Carl's hand and sitting down on Trouble's lap. Rick let her go and she wrapped her arms around the child.

"Well, I protect people." Rick said gently. "Make sure they don't get hurt." She seemed to accept that, and Rick went out on a limb. "You see Shane, over there? He's a police officer, too."

She looked up at Shane, who inched down to his knees, smiling at the girl in Trouble's lap. "Hi Juliana. I'm glad you came here to stay with us."

"Shane's cool. You don't have to be afraid of him, either. He worked with my dad." Carl said and went to lean on Shane confidently, his elbow on Shane's shoulder.

"Hi Shane." Jules said quietly and Shane grinned. Carol came out of the kitchen and called everyone to dinner, and Trouble stood up and grabbed Jules' hand. Carl took her other one, and Trouble looked back at Rick and Shane as they walked.

"You guys are awesome." She said with thankful eyes, and they chuckled as they entered the kitchen.

Dean must have walked past them while they were talking, because he was at the table when they got there. Rick and Shane sat down on either side of him, and Jules pulled her chair close to Trouble again. Trouble was watching Dean closely as she got a plate and put spoonfuls of mashed potatoes, corn, and meatloaf onto her plate. Finally, Dean looked up at her, and his eyes were red rimmed and flat. He nodded to her, and she took a deep breath, looking back at Jules and wondering if she would ever have the chance to talk to him.

Jules opened up a little more, even taking a roll Shane offered her at one point. They ate quickly, and she looked up at Trouble as they finished up. "Amy, can I play the game with Carl when we're done?"

Dean's head snapped up. "Amy?" He said, and the table got quiet, and Trouble let out a breath.

"Dean, this is Juliana. Jules, that is my other cousin, Dean." She said, leaning in toward the girl. Rick coughed and stood up, whispering something in Dean's ear, and Dean got up wearily and followed him out of the kitchen.

"Dean, those people took the girl's name away, called her Rose. Killed her mother and beat up on her." Rick said when they got to the empty common room. "Trouble told her that because she wanted the girl to relate to her."

Dean went to the cabinet and grabbed a bottle, taking a long drink from it. "Nobody's called her that in fifteen years." He said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Rick reached out and took the bottle from him and put it back in the cabinet. Dean started to look angry, but ended up just slumping in the chair nearest to him.

"Why not?" Rick asked, sitting down on the couch next to him.

"Her dad, my Uncle Bruce. He used to beat on her, sent her to the hospital a couple times. Her and Aunt Bonnie. Always ended up crawling back and he'd just say her name over and over again. Prick died of a heart attack when she was 7 and she never wanted to hear it again. Aunt Bonnie always just called her Trouble." Dean put his hands up over his face and rubbed it hard.

Rick set his jaw, understanding so much now why Trouble was so angry in the building, why she was being this way with the girl. It wasn't just because she was amazing, it was because she knew what Jules was going through. "Dean, Trouble needs you right now. Sober."

"I know, man." Dean said wearily. "I'm just so goddamn pissed off."

"At Trouble?" Rick asked incredulously, and Dean's head snapped up.

"Hell no. At those hillbilly bastards, man. I wanted to snap their necks."

"Well, we put a bullet in their heads and threw them over the cliff. They got what they deserved, Dean. I know you cared about Ian, but she was in love with him. It's different for her."

Dean looked up at him blearily, still a little drunk and hungover at the same time. "Yeah, man. I know."

Rick looked up as Carl led Jules out of the kitchen, Trouble close behind. He brought her around to the coffee table and picked up the controllers, showing her some buttons and bringing the game back up. Dean ran his hand over his face again and got up, going around the couch and grabbing Trouble's arm as she leaned against it, watching Jules. She looked at him, surprised, but led him lead her away.

"Dean, I'm sorry." She began but he pulled her into the corner, Rick trying not to watch as he hugged her tightly. He saw Trouble's shoulders go down in relief, and Dean gestured for Sam, who was standing in the kitchen door, to come closer. He got on the other side of Trouble and put his arms around her too, and the three of them held each other tightly for several moments.

"You got nothing to apologize for, Trouble." Dean said, leaning back and putting her face in his hands.

"I miss him." She said softly, her big green eyes filling with tears, and he pulled her to his chest again, holding her tightly.

"Yeah, me too. Even his sarcastic asshole one liners. Man, I'd give anything to hear one of those right now." He said, and she let a short burst of laughter into his chest. It was quickly followed by a racking sob and he hugged her tighter. She pulled herself together, and leaned back, looking up at him and Sam.

"We bury him tomorrow, and Cass." She said, and Sam nodded, wiping a tear away quickly.

"We'll get everything ready." Sam said, and Dean chucked her under her chin.

"So, Amy, huh? Never thought I'd hear that again."

She shrugged, her eyes going to the floor. "I don't know, there's something about it when she says it. I don't mind it, but don't you two start doing it. And you warn the others to watch it." She looked back up at him, and he smiled, shaking his head.

"You surprise me on a regular basis, girl."

She smiled and hugged him again, putting her arm out for Sam, who rested his chin on her head, his arm around her. "Love you." Sam said and she nodded, wiping her new tears on Dean's shirt.

"I love you, too. Both of you, so much. Don't leave me, either of you. I swear, I won't be able to-"

Dean cut her off. "Not gonna leave you, Trouble. I promise."

"That's what Ian said." She said, looking over at Jules. She was smiling and twisting the controller around, Carl obviously letting her get past him. She swallowed and spoke. "Now I've got her."

"She looks like you." Sam said, watching the girl.

"She's been torn apart. I don't know how to help her."

"I think you do. Look at her." Dean said, his arms over her as the three of them watched. He shook his head after a minute. "I'm going to get cleaned up. I'll see you in a little bit. I love you, Trouble. You need me, I'm here, ok?"

"Me, too." Sam said and she smiled, nodding, and wiped a tear away from her face. She took a deep breath and walked to the couch, taking a seat behind Jules. She pulled her legs up under her and rested her head on her hand, listening to the girl laugh. She looked past her and saw Rick watching her. She smiled and mouthed the words 'thank you', and he nodded, his eyes kind and soft. They sat there silently, watching the children play.

Carol let Carl stay up later than usual, he was so good with the scared little girl. She wiped away the millionth tear as she stood back and watched Juliana laugh, Sophia's clothes fitting her perfectly. She reminded her of Sophia in some ways, though she looked just like a little version of Trouble. She was so glad she'd brought the clothes in, it was so nice seeing them again. She sniffed and came up behind the couch.

"Carl, it's past time for bed. It's almost 10." She said gently and he looked back at her with a little out.

"But we were just getting ready to play a new game." He said, and Rick sat up a little.

"I think Juliana is tired, Carl. And you can play tomorrow." He said, and Carl looked down at Jules.

"We can play after breakfast if you want."

She nodded and he grinned, running off after Carol. Jules turned around and crawled up into Trouble's lap, laying her head against her shoulder. "Let's get you a bath, ok?" Trouble said.

"Will you brush my hair again?" Jules looked up at her and Trouble smiled.

"Sure I will. It's such pretty hair." Trouble brushed it out of her face and over her shoulders. Jules grinned and slid off her lap, and Trouble grabbed Rick's hand as she passed, squeezing it. He felt her fingers slip out of his and heard the door shut a minute later in the hallway.

He slouched down in his chair, and put his hand up over his mouth, thinking. Trouble's life came out slowly, piece by piece, but what he'd found out so far only made him love her even more. Shane came out from the control room with T-Dog, and they grabbed chairs across from him.

"They go to bed?" Shane asked, and Rick looked up at him.

"She's giving Juliana a bath. I guess they will go to sleep after." He said, picking at a spot on his jeans. "We need to dig a grave for Ian and Cass. They want to bury him tomorrow."

"We can get up early, have it done." T-Dog said, and Rick nodded.

"Yeah, I don't want them to have to worry about it." He said and they all fell silent, nodding and staring into the void.

"Hey dad?" Carl's voice came from behind him and Rick turned, surprised.

"He wanted to give Juliana a present before bed." Carol said apologetically, and Rick smiled.

"You did? What is it?" He shifted in his seat as Carl came around to stand in front of him. He held two Barbie dolls, one in summer wear and one with a long purple dress.

"They were Sophia's, too. Carol said she could have them."

"Did you thank Carol?" Rick asked, and Carl nodded. He turned around and looked up at Carol. "I'll get him to bed, Carol. Get some rest."

She smiled and left the room, and Rick looked back at Carl. "Let's give them a few minutes and we'll give them to her, ok?"

"Yeah." Carl said and Shane and T-Dog stood up.

"We're gonna hit the sack, be ready to be up early, man." Shane said and Rick watched them leave, biting the inside of his cheek, and looking down at the dolls in his son's hand.

Carol had brought more clothes while they were out. Trouble picked out a long nightgown for Jules, and she was brushing her hair out when the knock came at the door. Jules tensed but didn't go flying into her arms. She was clearly feeling a little more comfortable, and Trouble was glad.

"Come in." She called and Rick came in, his hand behind his back.

"Good, you're not sleeping yet." He said, stepping a little inside the door. "Can Carl and I come in?"

Trouble smiled and kept brushing her hair. "Sure. You want to see Carl, Jules?"

She nodded, looking back at her with a smile and Rick led Carl in. He stood back as Carl approached the bed, and Jules looked down at him curiously. Trouble paused and watched him pull two dolls out from behind his back, and she looked up at Rick and grinned when Jules smiled widely and reached for them. He put his hands on his hips and looked back at her lovingly.

"They're from all of us. We're really glad you're here. Do you like Barbies?" Carl asked, and Jules nodded excitedly, inspecting the fancy clothes the dolls wore.

"I used to have a lot of them, but I lost them." Jules said, and looked up at Carl.

"Ok, Carl, bedtime." Rick said and Jules looked up at Trouble with pleading eyes.

"Can Carl stay? Please, Amy?"

"Yeah, dad. Can't I stay? For a little while." Carl said and Rick looked up at Trouble questioningly. She shrugged and smiled and he grinned.

"A little while." Rick said, and Carl hopped up on the bed and looked back at Trouble.

"Can we watch a movie? I think she would like the Hannah Montana one." The boy said and Trouble smiled.

"Do we have that?" She asked playfully and Carl looked at her funny.

"Sure we do. Show her, dad."

"Well, long as it's ok with Trouble." Rick said, walking over to the bed. Trouble handed him the remote and smiled.

"Who am I to say no?"

He clicked it on and soon the movie began to flash across the screen. Trouble motioned for Rick to have a seat and he came around the other side of the bed and sat down next to her and they watched the children chatter excitedly, going quiet as they scooted to the foot of the bed and watched the movie.

"She adores him." Trouble said, leaning back against the pillows and whispering.

"Not as much as he does her. She's all he can talk about." Rick said, and she smiled. She took a deep breath and winced a little. She'd carried Jules constantly, run and hit the ground, and her side was aching painfully. It was, however, the first time she had noticed it in days.

Rick noticed and leaned in, his face concerned. "Still hurting?"

"Just started back up." She said, reaching for her nightstand drawer. She took a bottle out and swallowed some medicine for the first time in a week before she leaned back again, returning to her position on the bed.

"How does it look?" He asked and she nodded.

"Good. The bandages came of a while ago, just tweaks here and there." She said, and Rick reach out and rubbed her forearm. Jules looked back and Trouble shifted so she could come up and snuggle against her side. Carl saw that and came up and laid next to Rick, and the kids faced each other, still watching the movie. She and Rick looked at each other and wordlessly leaned forward and pulled the comforter over all four of them. He looked at her over the kids' heads, and watched her stroke the girl's hair absently and close her eyes. He found her free hand and squeezed it tightly. She opened her eyes again and looked at him, grateful he was there.

Anyone who walked in and saw them would think they were a perfect little family, she thought, closing her eyes again, still stroking Jules' hair. If they could only look inside and see how broken they all were, how much they lost. But it was times like this that allowed her to think things might be normal someday. If she could get Ian's face out of her head. His half cocked grin and intense blue eyes. She felt another tear threaten to drip down her face, and Rick squeezed her hand again.

She looked down and saw Carl and Jules had closed their eyes, and were sleeping deeply. "I'll take him downstairs." Rick whispered. She nodded and he let go of her hand. He picked Carl up in his arms and looked back down at her. "Goodnight."

"'Night. Thanks." She said, and smiled at him. He took Carl away, closing the door behind him. She reached over and clicked the tv off but left the light on again for Jules. Pulling the covers in tightly around them both, she quickly drifted off to sleep.


	39. Sleepover

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself. Anyway, it just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernatural's Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

She awoke the next morning when Jules slid off the bed and went to the bathroom. She laid there for a minute and thought about what she was about to do. Bury Ian and Cass. Two people she'd known longer than almost everyone else. Her best girl friend and the man who had loved her since the moment they'd met. She took a deep, rattling breath, and tried to smile as Jules came back in, the long nightgown trailing around her ankles.

"Where did Carl go?" She asked, hopping back up on the bed.

"You guys fell asleep and his dad took him back to his room to sleep." Trouble said, grabbing the bottle of water on her nightstand and taking a drink. She held it out to Jules, who took it and drank. "Jules, I have to do something today, and it won't take a long time, but I need you to stay with Carl and Carol while to do it."

Jules frowned at her. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I have to go to a funeral. Do you know what that is?"

Jules nodded, but her frown intensified. "Where is it?"

"Just right outside the door upstairs."

"No, Amy. Don't go outside." Jules eyes flew wide and she grabbed Trouble's hand.

"Jules, you remember how I told you someone I loved got hurt?" Trouble said quickly, brushing away a tear that had fallen on the girl's cheek. "I want to show you something. Come on." She took her hand and led her to the hallway, and back to Ian's room. She opened the door, and his familiar scent hit her quickly. She swallowed the lump that had appeared in her throat, and she led Jules inside.

The girl looked around at the messy bed and the clothes scattered around. Trouble picked up a photo pinned to the wall, Ian with his mother a long time ago, and she knelt down next to Jules.

"This is Ian. I loved him very much, and it's his funeral." She said, looking up at the girl. "It is really important I do this, so I need you to be really brave for me and stay in the kitchen with Carol and Carl. She will make you breakfast and I'll be back before you know it."

"But it's outside. With the monsters."

"You want to know something? We have a big wall, remember? All around the house. It's got sharp knives on top of it, and a big locked gate. So I'm not really going outside at all. I'm still at the house."

Jules seemed to be comforted by that, and Trouble hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Jules." she stood up and went to nightstand, grabbing the class ring she knew he kept there. She took it out and held it, looking at the cut silver and bright blue stone. A stone that matched his eyes. She grabbed Jules' hand and led her back to her room, and they changed quickly. Trouble chose black, it seemed appropriate for the way she was feeling, and she got a slender silver ribbon from a box on her dresser and threaded it through the ring. She tied the end tightly and put it in her pocket.

Carol and Carl were waiting for Trouble when she brought Jules to the kitchen. Carl grabbed her hand and started to pull her to the crayons and paper he had on the table, but she looked back at Trouble and broke free, throwing her arms around her waist.

"Come back fast." She said, looking up at Trouble. She leaned down and kissed the girl's head.

"I will, I promise." She said, and Jules walked away with Carl. Trouble nodded to Carol and left the kitchen quickly. She hadn't been wearing her weapon with Jules, but she grabbed it as she got to the wall in the control room. Sam and Dean were waiting for her, and she pulled on a jacket.

"Where are the others?" She asked.

"They went out already, got everything ready for us." Sam said, and she nodded. "Thanks, Glen." He said, passing the young man in the desk chair as they made their way to the elevator. She got into the Matrix with them and they drove to the tree where they'd buried Tanner.

She got out slowly, looking at the ground under the tree. There were five graves now, two empty, and Rick, Shane, and T-Dog stood to the side. There were two bodies wrapped neatly and laying next to the empty graves, and with heavy hearts Sam and Dean stepped forward and gently put Ian, then Cass into the graves. Trouble watched, tears pouring freely over her cheeks. She knelt down and threw the first handfuls of dirt over her friends, and Sam pulled her into his arms as the others started to fill the displaced dirt in. Dean came up next to them and put his arms around her shoulder, the three of them watching. She put her face in Sam's shirt as they finished, and she sobbed quietly against him. They held her tightly, but eventually she stepped out of their grasps and she knelt down next to Ian's grave. She pulled the ribbon and ring out of her pocket and kissed it before hanging it on the small wooden cross above it. Dean stepped up next to her and pulled a bottle out from the inside of his jacket. He took a drink of it and left it uncapped before placing it at the head of Cass' grave.

She sat there for a few minutes and no one said anything. Silently, she stood and walked to Anna's grave. It was the first time she'd been, and she knelt back down, her hand on the small mound of dirt.

After a few moments, she got up and walked back into arms of her cousins, and when they got back in the cars, she stared out at the cloudy, overcast sky. It was done. They drove back silently, and she didn't speak until Jules ran from the kitchen and threw her arms around her waist.

"Did you have breakfast?"

"Carol made pancakes." Jules said and Carol smiled gently, rinsing the plates in the sink. "I want to play with Carl. Will you come?"

"Yeah, let me get some coffee first." Trouble said and quickly poured a cup. She left it black, she didn't have the energy to put cream and sugar in it. She followed Jules out to the common room and she laid across the love seat, sad and deep in thought, watching Carl and Jules play.

Shane came back from showering and he rubbed her hair as he passed. She knew Jules would probably become more timid if he sat next to her so she sat up and let him take a place next to her.

"You ok?" He asked softly.

"I will be. Thank you for getting everything ready." She said, her eyes still on Jules.

"You're welcome." He said, putting his arm over the back of the couch and sinking back tiredly. She took a drink of her coffee.

"I'm glad it's over. I didn't think she would let me go. If it wasn't for Carl, I doubt she would have."

"They really like each other." Shane agreed.

She looked over at him, frowning. "What happens if the alarm goes off? If I have to go out there?"

"We bring Carl, try to distract her. But if it does go off, I think you should stay with her for now. She's already too skittish, she won't understand." He said, and Trouble nodded as Rick came in and grabbed seat on the opposite side of the table. She smiled at him, and bit the inside of her cheek.

"Can you watch her for a few? I just want to check on Dean and Sam." She asked and Shane nodded. "Thanks." She got up quietly and Jules didn't notice when she went down the hall. She knocked on Dean's door, hoping both of them would be in there.

"Yeah?" She heard Dean's voice, and she poked her head around the door. He was laying back on his back in his bed, his shirt off and a bottle of scotch in his hand. It had to be his last one that Cass brought, he'd been going through it like crazy.

"Hey." She said, crawling across his bed and laying on her stomach next to him. "I just wanted to check on you. Where's Sam?"

"I think he and Andrea snuck away." Dean said, taking a drink. He handed her the bottle and she took a swig too. "I wouldn't touch that one with a ten foot pole."

"Yeah, I think I'll steer clear." She grinned and he took her hand, twirling his fingers around his absently.

"Where's the kid?" Dean asked curiously.

"Playing with Carl." She answered, her chin on her arm. "She's probably going to notice I'm gone soon, though. Why don't you come out, spend some time with me?"

"And put the bottle down?" He teased.

She shrugged. "You just fall asleep, you don't go nuts. I don't really care if you drink."

"Well, then it's a deal." He grunted as he got up and grabbed a tee shirt. He pulled it over his head and she yelped when he leaned down and grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder.

"Dean! Put me down!"

"You wanted to hang out, what are you complaining about?" He asked, and she smacked his back several times. He started to carry her toward the door and she pinched him hard. He hissed and tossed her on the bed. "What was that for?" He winced, rubbing his back.

"Because, if Jules would freak out. You so deserved it." She said, getting up and straightening her shirt.

"I did not." He grumbled as he followed her out the door.

"Did too."

He threw his arm over her. "So happy to know you're not in the second grade anymore."

They got into the common room without Jules noticing, and Trouble reclaimed her spot next to Shane. Dean sat down on the floor next to her, drinking from his bottle. They were all quieter than usual, the burial putting them into an almost comatose state. When the game was over this time, Jules put her controller down and crawled up into Trouble's lap, resting her head against her neck.

"You sleepy, Jules?" Trouble asked as Carol came out and called them to lunch. "Can you save something for her? I'm going to let her get some rest." She asked Shane, and he nodded, looking down at the back of the little girl's head.

"Sure. I'll get something for you, too." He said, standing.

"I'm not hungry, but thanks." She smiled, and Shane frowned but nodded, and walked to the kitchen after the others. Rick grabbed a blanket from the couch and covered the two of them up, but he didn't leave when he was done. He sat down on the couch near her and she tilted her head at him.

"You've got to be hungry, Rick." She said, and he shook his head.

"I'll eat when you do." She looked at him curiously and he clarified. "You haven't eaten since she came. You think I didn't notice?"

"I haven't been hungry." She said softly.

"I know. It's what you do when you're hurting. But you're going to drop soon if you don't, so I'll eat when you do."

"Point taken. When she wakes up, ok?" Trouble lifted her eyebrow at him and he nodded, satisfied. "But I do need a favor."

"Name it."

"I'm on monitors tonight and if it goes off I'm going to need to make sure she's got somebody there. Carl, preferably. You guys feel like a sleepover?" She asked hopefully, and he chuckled.

"I think Carl would be thrilled."

"Thanks." She said gratefully, looking down at the sleeping girl. She realized she was actually looking forward to tonight, not being alone, not thinking about the last week.

When Jules woke up, Rick had turned a movie on for him and Trouble, and she was almost asleep herself. Carol had taken Carl downstairs to work on some old schoolwork he hadn't had a chance to do, and the others had either gone to rest or drink in their rooms, leaving the three of them alone. "Hey Jules." Trouble said softly when she raised her head and looked up at her sleepily. "Let's go get something to eat, huh?"

Rick grinned and got up, going to the kitchen first. Trouble and Jules followed after, and she sat Jules up at the stool at the counter and went to help him.

"How does spaghetti sound?" He asked, grabbing a pot from under the counter. "Jules, what do you think?"

She nodded shyly at him, and he grinned, filling the pot with water and putting it on to boil. Trouble got a jar of tomato sauce from the cabinet and leaned against the counter to listen to Rick engage the child. She was glad. The sooner Jules got over her fear of the men in the house, the sooner she might get to sleeping alone again. Not that she minded, really. Juliana was a sweetheart.

"So, Jules," Rick was saying. "Where did you come from? I mean, where did you live?"

She looked at Trouble for the ok, and she smiled and nodded at her to answer the question. "1435 Washington Avenue." She said proudly, remembering the address.

"Do you know what city?" Trouble asked.

"Mason, Missouri."

"Ok, good." Rick said kindly and Jules smiled. He didn't want to bring up Bill and Betsy, so he moved on. "Do you have a dad?"

"No. Momma took care of me." She said simply, and Rick met Trouble's eyes. She was all alone. But not now. "Now Amy takes care of me."

"I know. She's doing a really good job." Rick said, getting a box of spaghetti and dumping it in the water.

"Jules, guess what?" Trouble said, leaning on the counter and facing the girl. "Carl is going to stay with us again tonight."

"Really?" She asked excitedly. "Is his daddy going to stay too?"

"Well, um..." Trouble looked at Rick lost. "His room is right across the hall, he's going to be close." Jules looked down at the counter, and Rick frowned.

"Jules, do you want me to stay?"

"Carl said you protected everybody, and you're a police officer. You can protect me and Amy." She said, and Trouble rubbed her face with her hand. Rick looked at her, his jaw set.

"Jules, Trouble is really smart, and strong. She-" He began, but she cut him off.

"Do you want to? If you do, I don't mind." She pulled him and they stood with their back to Jules, and she stirred the pasta while they spoke.

"If it'll make her feel better." He said, and she gave a small smile.

"Hell, it'll probably make me feel better too." She said softly, and turned back to Jules with a smile. "Rick will stay too." Rick felt his heart go into his throat. He made Jules feel safe, and Trouble, too. It made him happy, gave him a further sense of purpose. And the fact that she wanted him around sent tingles through his body.

Rick finished the food quickly, and they ate at the dining room table. Trouble forced some down, if only so Rick would stop giving her the look he gave her when he wanted her to do something. Rick adjusted in his seat at one point and moved his gun on his hip. Jules stopped eating and looked at it. She wasn't afraid, she was interested, and Trouble felt a thought hit her like a ton of bricks. This girl had been through hell, and she wasn't going to let her continue to be afraid.

Rick saw Jules looking at his gun and he looked uncomfortable, but Trouble shook her head at him. "Jules, what are you looking at?" She asked, leading the girl.

"Nothing." She said lightly and finished her plate quickly. Trouble bit her lip and watched her closely.

"I carry one too. Does that bother you?" She asked and Rick looked at her strangely.

"No." Jules shook her head. "I don't mind them at all."

"But you know not to touch guns, right?" Rick asked, and Jules nodded. "Good. They're really dangerous."

Trouble leaned back, and Rick could tell she was deep in thought. "Jules, do you want more spaghetti?" She asked, and Jules shook her head, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Trouble got up and took their plates, taking them to the sink.

"What are you thinking about?" Rick asked, coming up behind her.

"Nothing, really. Just surprised she'd not freaked out by our guns." Trouble said, rinsing the plates.

"Well, that group she was with, I'm surprised she didn't have one of her own." He said grimly.

"It's good, Rick. She knows not to touch them, and she knows not to be afraid of them. I think we can use that."

"Use it? How?" He narrowed his eyes, warily. "You don't want to teach her how to use them do you?"

"Yeah, let's do that. Maybe we can teach her to build a bomb while we're at it." She said sarcastically. "Just out of curiosity, when did I start looking psychotic to you?"

"Hurting and confused, not psychotic. I think you're trying to deal with losing Ian, and you're angry."

"Damn straight I'm angry." She said, grabbing a towel and drying her hands. Jules came closer and she lowered her voice. "I'm doing the best I can here."

"You're doing an amazing job. She's talking, interacting. She's going to be ok, because of you." He said, and turned to Jules. "What do you want to do now, Jules?"

"I don't know." She said, and looked up at Trouble. "What do you want to do, Amy?"

"Is Carl still working on his schoolwork?" She asked Rick, and he nodded.

"Carol said they would be busy till about 7. He's a little behind."

"I think it would be good for her. God knows last time she had school."

"It's a good idea. Jules, why don't we go see Carl?" He said, and she grinned widely. They walked down the hallway, and she paused.

"Can you take her down for me? I need to make the rounds up here. Haven't seen Sam or Dean in a while."

"Sure."

She leaned down and brushed Jules' long hair back. Rick is going to take you downstairs to see Carl. Carol will be there, but nobody else, ok? Can you let him take you?"

"Where are you gonna be?" Jules asked fearfully.

"Right here. I'm not going anywhere, but I've got a little work to do right now."

"You won't go outside?"

"Nope." She said, holding up her pinkie and looping it through Jules'. "Promise."

Jules nodded and Rick took her hand and led her to the elevator. When they vanished behind the doors, she went to Dean's room. She knocked and stuck her head, finding him asleep across his bed, a half empty bottle next to him on the stand. She closed the door softly and started to go to Sam, but she realized she hadn't seen Andrea either. No thank you.

Shane's door was next and she knocked softly. She heard him inside, and opened the door. "Shane?"

"Hey, come in." He said, clicking the remote and pausing the movie he had been watching. She walked in and closed the door.

"Whatcha watchin?" She asked and he waved his hand at the tv. He was laying back against the pillows, his legs crossed and a beer in his hand.

"Nothin'. What's up? Where's the kid?"

"Doing schoolwork with Carl and Carol. I thought it would be a good idea." She said, and he smoothed a spot on the bed for her. She sat down facing him and pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. "Do you mind? It's been days."

He gestured for her to go ahead, and even handed her his beer bottle for a make shift ashtray. She lit one and took a deep breath, and he moved to his side, looking up at her with his head on his hand. "How you gettin by?"

She shrugged. "She's keeping me busy."

"Looks like Rick is helping out." He said, hoping his jealousy that Rick was spending so much time with her didn't show.

"God, Carl has been a lifesaver. It's crazy watching after a kid. I have no clue what I'm doing, and Rick's kind of my point of reference at the moment. I guess I should have paid more attention before."

"Not like you knew this was coming."

"That's an understatement." She said softly, dropping he cigarette in the bottle. He took it back and sat it on the table before coming back to his spot. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know you don't have to stay in here. I'm sorry we took over out there."

"Don't worry about it." He said. "You want to watch the rest of this with me? It'll be a nice break from Mommy duty." He grinned.

She gave him an overwhelmed look and took a drink. "She's been here two days. I hardly think that name fits."

He took the bottle and drank, too. "Ok, call it what you want."

She desperately wanted to change the subject. "So, Andrea seems to like Sam."

"Noticed that. Good for him. She's tough." Shane said, and she nodded.

"I hope it's helping him get past what's happened. I worry about Dean. He's back in his room, passed out right now."

"Dean will be fine. He's always there when we need him." Shane said, and she took one last drink before handing him back the bottle.

"Thanks for the drink, barkeep." She grinned and got up slowly, stretching. "I've got an hour before Jules will be looking for me. I'm going to hit the training room for a while."

"Ok. See you at dinner." He said and she grinned and left. She went to her room and changed into short and a tank top. She grabbed a towel and went to the training room, shutting the door so the music didn't interrupt Carol down the hall. She turned the music up and soon she was completely zoned out by the music.


	40. Something there

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself. Anyway, it just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernatural's Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Rick cleaned up Carl's room while he and Juliana worked with Carl. The girl had been a little reluctant to go with him at first, but as soon as she saw Carl her face lit up and she sat side by side with him, reading from a book. Rick picked up all Carl's clothes, putting them in the hamper for later, and made the bed. Carol came by with the children a little while later, and he listened to their excited chatter. He heard the music before they did.

"What is that?" Jules asked from behind him, and Rick grinned. He opened the door to the training room just in time to see Trouble to a double back flip. Jules' eyes went wide and she stepped into the room, and Rick and Carl followed her.

Trouble saw them and smiled, grabbing a towel from the bench and putting it around her neck, dabbing her face. "Hey, is it 7 already?"

"Just past." Rick nodded.

"Do that again." Jules said, looking up at her.

"Do what, Jules?" Trouble looked at her curiously.

"The back flip you just did." Jules said, and Trouble grinned.

"You know what that's called? Did you do gymnastics?"

"Yeah, a long time." Jules said and Trouble laughed, tossing her towel away. She stepped to the middle of the floor and did the double back flip again, and Jules clapped her hands together. She came to stand in front of Trouble and did a very nice handstand. Carl looked up at Rick with a delighted expression, and they both clapped for the little girl.

"That was awesome. Do you know how to do a cartwheel?"

"That's easy." Jules said and did the cartwheel.

"Ok, what's something harder you can do?" Jules thought about it for a minute, before she stepped back and took a running start, flipping once in midair. "Whoa! Very nice! We're going to have to come back down and practice if you want."

"Yeah!" Jules said, and Trouble picked her towel up again and putting an arm around Jules as they walked out with Rick and Carl. They went back upstairs and Carl grabbed a couple coloring books and colored pencils from a table in the common room, and the kids got down to color on the coffee table. Trouble went to grab a soda and T-Dog came in a moment later.

"Hey." She said and he grinned.

"Haven't seen you in a while." He said, getting a soda for himself and eying her clothes and the towel around her neck. "You go workout?"

"Yeah, for a little while." She nodded. "What are you up to?"

"Not a lot." He cracked the can open. "Thought I'd see what you guys are up to. You know, all the time we've been here and I'm still not used to being bored."

The alarm went off, the rapid beeping that meant the movement cameras had been activated. She raised an eyebrow as they took off for the control room. Hopefully Rick would know to keep the kids at the coffee table. She and T-Dog got to the monitors and she could see the gap camera had been activated. Sam rushed in a second later. Shane right after that.

"What is it?" He asked, coming up behind her.

"Walkers." She said grimly. She could see a half dozen or so beyond the cars, and they were just coming to the remaining landmines beyond the cars.

"I guess we'll see if the barrier works." T-Dog said grimly.

"Amy!" Jules voice came from the door and she ran in, pushing past Sam and hugging Trouble around the waist.

"Sorry, she got really scared." Rick said from the door and Trouble shook her head.

"It's ok." She said and picked Jules up so she would be facing away from the cameras. The image shook slightly as one of the landmines went off, showering the body parts across the road. Jules started to turn around but Trouble gently put her hand on her head and stopped her. "Don't look, Jules."

The rest of the walkers got to the car barrier, four of them now, and they stopped. Trouble and the others watched as they drifted around in the road aimlessly, and when they turned around and started heading away, T-Dog burst out in joyous laughter.

"It worked!" He said loudly, and the rest of them were grinning widely. "Hot damn!" He and Sam high fived each other, and Shane and Rick shook hands victoriously.

Trouble laughed and hugged Jules tighter. "See? I told you we're safe." Jules leaned back and wiped at her eyes, but she smiled. "They went away. We're ok."

"Did you want us to... you know, the others." T-Dog held up a gun motion with his fingers and she shook her head.

"No need. They didn't cross it now, more than likely, they won't." She said, boosting Jules up in her arms. "I'm going to get her out of here. Let me know if they come back. Somebody needs to stay on monitors for a little while."

"I'll do it." Shane said and grabbed the chair as she carried Jules back to the common room. She put her down with Carl and turned back to T-Dog and Rick.

"If those walkers had come over the barrier, we could deal with them, but I've been thinking we should find a way to do that without exposing ourselves. Like the wooden block you put up at the gate, times 100."

"What do you have in mind."

"We use the town on the street to our advantage. Let me show you, hang on." She turned back to Carl and Jules. "Hey Carl? Can I have a piece of your paper and a pencil?"

"Sure." He handed her a red coloring pencil and a sheet of paper, and took it to the small table nearby.

"Here's the gate, the woods, and the town. We secure an entrance in back, go in without being seen from the woods. The buildings are attached, so we punch a hole in the walls between each building so we have free movement inside."

"That's good." Rick said.

"It's a start. But we should get the others together, talk about it." She said, and they nodded. She couldn't leave Jules to make a game plan, she had to do this here. "Will you get them?"

T-Dog went to get Shane and Dean, and Trouble sat down, sketching the town out in a little more detail. When she had everyone around her, she ran through what she told Rick and T-Dog.

"I like it." Sam said.

"That's not all. We board up the doors, no entrance from the front at all. Board the windows only enough so we can see out, and they can't see in. Walkers aren't our biggest threat anymore, if the cars stop them, great. But we've proven their not gonna stop the people." She tapped the pencil on the paper as she spoke.

"Gives us the chance to tell them to stand down before we have to fire. Makes sense." Shane said, his hands on his hips.

"We can use the upstairs to our advantage, too. Gives a good vantage point." Rick said.

"That's what I'm thinking." She answered.

Sam stretched, put his folded hands on top of his head. "We do this on both sides of the town, might take a little while but it's another layer of protection. Besides, that battery on the gate isn't going to last long. I want to get the batteries from the cars we parked for backup."

"Good idea." Dean said, and Carol's voice came from the kitchen door, calling for dinner.

"We start in the morning, try to get it done in a couple days. It's getting warmer, it's likely we're gonna see more people now." She said, standing and tossing the pencil on the table.

"Great. Let's eat." Sam said, rubbing his hands together and going for the kitchen. Trouble and Rick watched the others follow, and she looked down as Jules and Carl walked to them.

"You hungry, Jules?" She asked, and the little girl nodded. "Good. Let's eat." Carl took her hand and took her ahead a little, but Jules watched to make sure Trouble was close.

"The good thing about this is if anybody comes over that barrier, they're not going to have cars. They'll be exposed." Rick said in a low voice as they walked into the dining room.

"We just have to make sure we're not." She said, and they split, him going to Carl and her taking a seat next to Jules. She got the girl's dinner ready and put it in front of her, but she only nibbled at hers. Her brain was shooting ideas like a semi automatic, and she didn't feel very hungry. She just kept thinking that if she had had this idea before, Ian would still be here.

Shane noticed she was lost in her thoughts. He tapped her foot under the table and she looked startled. He tilted his head at her, concerned, but she just gave a small smile and shook her head. She was telling him she was ok, but he didn't believe it for a second.

After dinner, Trouble sat on the couch with her paper, making notes and tapping the pencil against her cheek thoughtfully. She had to figure out a way to distract Jules so she could go with them in the morning, and that wasn't going to be easy. She'd have to ask Carol to do schoolwork early, and make it a long one. She sighed and looked up, trying to see where Carol had gone, but she caught Rick's eye instead. He'd been watching her, she realized, but she had no clue why. Had the conversation over lunch bothered him so badly that he'd become worried about her? Whatever it was, it would have to wait till later. She put her paper down and pulled her hair up into a loose bun on her head with the band she's put on her wrist, and she got up and went to find Carol.

"I have a favor." She said when she got to the kitchen door and found Carol putting clean dishes away.

"Of course." Carol said, pausing.

"We've got some heavy duty work in the morning. I need you and Carl to distract Juliana, maybe more of that schooling you were doing earlier."

"I'd be happy to. She took to it like a pro. She's so smart." Carol said almost wistfully, and Trouble stepped in and leaned against the wall.

"You like having her around, huh?"

"Oh, yes." Carol put a hand on her heart. "She's just a little breath of fresh air. It's almost... well, it's the closest thing to having my Sophia back I suppose."

Trouble felt so bad for her, and she went to Carol, giving her a hug. "Thank you, Carol. You've been really wonderful. I hope you know how much I appreciate you."

"It's no trouble, really. I like having a purpose. Makes me feel needed."

"You are needed. My god, I would have freaked out if you weren't here. Without Anna, I can't do this stuff the way you two can."

"I don't think that's true. But thank you, Trouble." Carol said, and Trouble smiled at her, leaving the kitchen.

She came back to the common room and leaned over the couch. "Hey Jules? Can you and Carl stop for a little while? We have to get ready for bed."

Jules put her crayons down and said bye to Carl. She took Trouble's hand and went to the bedroom, and Trouble ran her a bath. She gathered clothing from the stack Carol had brought and went in to wash Jules' hair.

"We're going to have to do some laundry soon. You're running out of a couple things." Trouble said lightly, soaping up Jules' long hair. "You excited for Carl to stay with us tonight?"

"Yeah." Jules said happily. "I like it here, Amy."

Trouble smiled. "I'm glad. We like having you here."

"Carl said you weren't his momma. Is that true?"

"Yes." Trouble said, rinsing her hair and putting conditioner in it.

"He said his momma died, like mine." She said thoughtfully.

"That's true too. It's very sad." Where was she going with this? She rinsed her hair well and left her to wash up the rest of the way. She distracted herself by putting a few scattered clothes away, and she cleaned out a drawer in her bureau, putting Jules' clothes in it. She was finishing making the bed when Jules called for her, and she went in to help her get dried off and dressed.

"What do you wanna watch tonight?" Trouble asked her as she pulled a little pink shirt over her head. It had sparkly flowers on it and Jules was looking down and running her fingers over the sparkles.

"I don't know. What do you want to watch?"

"How about The Little Mermaid?" Trouble asked, giving her hair one last towel rub.

"Ok." Jules nodded, following Trouble out into the bedroom. She crawled up into the bed and Trouble got up behind her and brushed her long hair free of tangles. "Will you braid it?"

"Sure." She answered, and she was just starting when someone knocked on the door. "Come in!"

"Just us." Rick said, opening the door, and Carl rushed the room. "You ready for us?" He saw Trouble carefully braiding the child's hair, and she looked so natural doing it it made his breath catch in his throat. She was so beautiful, and since Jules came he was seeing her in a whole new light. A new layer of the complicated girl was being revealed to him.

"We're ready, aren't we, Jules?" She said, twisting the last few inches of her hair into the braid. She grabbed a band from her nightstand and tied the hair off, and Jules flew to the end of the bed to talk to Carl. He had dressed in his pajamas too, and they looked so cute together she couldn't help but smile.

"We decided we're watching The Little Mermaid. I hope Carl doesn't mind." She said as Rick came close.

"He won't mind. He likes the movie. Actually, so do I. He went through a Disney phase a while back, I can probably repeat it word for word." He said and she chuckled, going to her bureau.

"I need a shower, badly." She said, grabbing a few articles of clothing. "Can you watch her for me for a minute?"

He flopped down on the bed and grinned. "You got it."

Rick listened to the water running in the bathroom behind his head, thinking of her in there. He kicked off his shoes and brought his knees up, resting his arms on them. He knew she was looking at him to show her the way with Jules, he just hoped he was doing a good job supporting her.

She came out of the bathroom a little while later, snapping him out of his reverie. He saw she had changed into a pair of black shorts and a matching tank, her long legs smooth and muscular. She was drying her hair and tossed the towel over the back of a chair. He moved over and she took her spot back, grabbing her hairbrush and running it through her wet hair. The scent of vanilla hit him hard when she sat down and he almost closed his eyes it was so nice. He leaned against the pillows, hoping she didn't notice he was sitting closer than he had to.

"Was everything ok while I was in there?" She asked as she began to braid her hair the way she had done Jules'.

"Yeah, she didn't even notice." He said, looking down at the two kids. He'd turned the movie on while she was in the shower, he didn't think she'd mind, and they were on their stomachs on the end of the big bed, little chins on their hands, oblivious to the world.

He smiled and looked back at her. She'd finished her braid, and it hung over her shoulder like a golden rope. Her face was peaceful but sad, and it broke his heart. He wanted to distract her. "Hey, you want me to make some popcorn for them?" He asked and she nodded.

"I bet they'd like that." She said and he got up and left the room quickly, heading for the kitchen. Sam and Dean were watching a movie with T-Dog, but Shane wasn't anywhere around. Rick made the popcorn and grabbed a couple beers for Trouble, a couple soda for him and the kids, and returned to the room.

"Here we go." He said, sitting the large bowl in the middle of the bed. Jules and Carl dove for it, and he handed Trouble a beer.

"Thanks." She said and cracked it. "Thanks for helping me out tonight." She said as he returned to his place beside her.

"My pleasure." He said easily. "Carl is over the moon. I should be thanking you."

She grinned bringing her knees up and moving so she was facing him, resting on her elbow. "So, any ideas for tomorrow?" She spoke low.

"I think you came up with some great stuff." He said, moving in an identical position to hers so they were facing each other. "Boarding it up from the front is great."

She nodded and bit her lip. "When it's done I don't want us to have any contact with anybody if we don't have to. We have a wall between us and them, maybe we won't lose anybody else."

She spoke so sadly, he couldn't help but reach out and brush her cheek with his fingertips. "Hey, we'll get it done. We'll make this place an island."

"You ready for that, Rick? Maybe never getting out of here, getting rid of everybody else and just having us to be with? Forever."

"I don't think it will last forever, but if it does, then yeah. I'm ready for that. Are you?"

"A world of yes. After what's happened, I don't care I never see another person again." She paused. "But, I worry about Dean. And Shane, you, T-Dog. That's a long time to be alone."

He frowned. She had a point, for everyone but him. If he could spend every day with her, he'd be in heaven. "I don't think it's going to happen like that, Trouble."

"I guess I shouldn't be worrying about it, really. I always do that, think about things I can't change. You know? Like, what happens if, or what I should have done. It freakin sucks." She put her hand to her forehead and rubbed it hard.

"I noticed." He said and grinned. He grabbed her hand and held it tightly. "Breath. Focus on now. I'm actually glad you went to the training room today. You haven't done it in a while."

"You notice if I eat, and if I go to the training room. You better watch it, Rick. You're entering stalker territory." She said playfully, and he rolled onto his back, his hands over his eyes.

"It does sound like that, doesn't it." He looked over at her. "Or, maybe I'm just very observant."

She grinned. "We'll go with that." She moved forward and turned over on her back, too, and rested her head on his chest. Rick sucked a breath in when she did that, and he couldn't help but take his hand and stroke her hair the way she did with Jules. She relaxed and they stayed like that till Jules moved off her stomach. Trouble got up and pulled the blankets down, and the little girl crawled up between them, and Trouble got back in next to her. "Carl, you sleepy, buddy?"

He nodded and moved up to lay next to Jules. Again, the kids faced each other, their heads on the pillows, and Trouble pulled the comforter up over them. She rested on her elbow and watched a few minutes of the movie, but soon she looked down and saw the kids had fallen asleep.

She looked up at Rick. "They fall asleep so fast, don't they?"

"Yeah, they do." He said softly, looking at Carl.

"You sure you want to stay? I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I've slept on a cot with this kid, this is luxury." He said and she grinned.

"Fair enough." She nodded, and yawned. "Put it on something you want to watch. We don't need to finish this." She said, and they both jumped when they heard the alarm go off. She went flying out of the bed and he left Carl with Jules and followed her.

"What is it?" He asked, skidding to a stop behind her.

"The walkers came back." She said, looking closely at the monitor. "Still not coming through the barrier, though. Just standing there."

He moved up next to her, and they stood there, bent over, hands on the desk, watching closely. There were eight or ten now, hard to tell because they were shuffling in the dark, and the night vision was a little faded.

"Well, I'm not worried about them." She said, standing up and sighing. "They come over the barrier, we'll know it doesn't work. We'll take them out in the morning."

He nodded and they went back to her room quickly, in case the alarm had woken Jules up. They were both surprised to see she was still sleeping like a rock. Carl too, but he had moved, spread out over Rick's spot on the bed. Trouble chuckled and looked back at Rick.

"Looks like you've been kicked off the island."

He grinned and shook his head. "Now you understand what it was like on that cot. I can take the chair."

"Don't be an idiot." She said, laying back down and scooting close to Jules. She looked back at him. "He's hibernating. Move him a little."

He almost thought she was going to offer him a spot next to her, and he was a little disappointed, but it was for the best. He would take her up on it, and he'd be explaining himself to Carl tomorrow. Not fun.

She was right. Carl rolled over easily and Trouble laid there quietly for a few minutes. He turned on his side so he could see her over the kids' heads.

"You do know that I'm going out there with you tomorrow, right?" She said softly, her eyes on his.

"I had a suspicion."

She raised her eyebrows. "You're not going to try and talk me out of it?"

"No."

She looked at him curiously. "Why not?"

"Would it work?"

"No."

"Then why bother?"

She grinned at him. "You are one of a kind."

He chuckled. "I'm realistic, that's all. Besides, I'd rather put my attentions to a place they'll be useful. Like making sure everybody comes back safe."

"We can't control that." She said softly, turning and looking up at the ceiling.

"Not going to stop us from trying." He said, and she turned back to him, her eyes searching his face.

"No, it won't."

He reached over the kids' heads and held out his hand. She took his and he brought it to his lips, kissing it softly. They fell asleep, still holding hands.

The next morning came quickly. Rick woke up before they did, and laid there looking at Trouble for a while. She was on her back, Jules wrapped tightly in her arms, the little girl's head on her shoulder.

Carl stirred and her eyes opened. She smiled at him and stretched, sliding out of bed and twisting her arms around behind her. "Morning." She said softly, turning around to face him.

"How'd you sleep?" He asked, sitting up.

"Hard." She said, going to her closet and pulling out a pair of jeans and a light sweater. She changed in the bathroom quickly, and when she came back out she was tying her braid up into a bun on the back of her head. She looked beautiful.

Jules woke up quickly and rubbed her eyes. "Hey Jules." Rick said kindly and she smiled at him.

"Let's get you ready for breakfast." Trouble said and Jules got out from under the covers and went into the bathroom with Trouble. Rick got Carl up and took him downstairs, and when they dressed and went back up, they found Trouble and Jules in the kitchen with Carol. Rick nodded at her as she brought plates to the kids, and he and Trouble ducked out of the kitchen when they were fully preoccupied.

In the control room, Trouble grabbed a walkie so they could call her if Jules freaked out and noticed she was gone. T-Dog, Dean, Sam, and Shane were already there, and she and Rick quickly loaded up on weapons. She picked her bow, too, and threw a quiver over her shoulder, going to cabinet in the corner and pulled out three large sledgehammers, handing them to Shane, T-Dog, and Sam. Hershel was at the desk, and they headed to the surface.


	41. Tom

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself. Anyway, it just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernatural's Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Trouble pulled on a black leather jacket and pushed her sunglasses up on her face as they stepped out into the bright sunlight. The weather was mild, still warm for the early part of the year. She got into her Jeep and Shane got up next to her. They got to the gate first, and Sam got out of Dean's SUV and turned the electric off the gate, opening it for them.

The street was deserted. The walkers hadn't come over the barrier. She turned to the right, heading for the gap, to see if they were still there. They were, their heads bobbing over the cars randomly. They heard them pull up and she stopped several car lengths away and got out. Reaching in the back of the Jeep she grabbed her bow, and the others came up behind her to back her up as she went up to the barrier. One of the walkers, a middle aged man with a rotted face started to come over the cars and she strung a bow, letting it fly. It landed in his left eye and he toppled back to the concrete. The others headed her way, but she took them out quickly.

Shane started to go after her when she hopped up on the cars, but Dean did it for him.

"I need my arrows back." She looked down at him, but he got up next to her.

"I'll get 'em." He said and she hopped down lightly, watching him go and retrieve them from the heads of the walkers.

"We'll start with this building." Rick was saying behind him, and Shane turned around. "Work our way back." Rick led them into the first building and they used crowbars from the trunk of the SUV to start ripping doors from their hinges. They worked together, nailing the doors to the windows on the first floor, leaving a space between them in the middle of the window so they could shoot through. Dean joined them, leaving Trouble outside to cover them with her bow. Soon, they had the second floor done too, and they started with the sledgehammers, punching a hold through the first floor wall. When it was big enough for two people to run through, they entered the next building and repeated the process.

Trouble moved with the sounds of the hammers and breaking concrete, always staying outside the building they were in. Rick kept an eye on her at all times, trying not to be too noticeable, but when he realized the others were doing it too, he didn't worry about being obvious. She moved like a cat, carefully, smooth. Her hair pulled back and black leather jacket combined with her mirror sunglasses, stony expression, and tricked out weapon made her look like what Lara Croft wished she could be.

This side of the road went fast. They worked fast, sweat streaming from their faces and through their shirts, and they had all taken their jackets off and dropped them in the road below long before they got through all five buildings and to the edge of the woods. Shane hammered the last nail in, and Dean went out front to stay with Trouble while they secured one entrance in the back of the buildings.

"Door in back can be locked from the inside, all the entrances to the front are boarded up." Sam said as they walked around the buildings and met up again.

"Good. Do you guys want to go in, rest a little before we do the other side? There're more buildings." Trouble asked, and Dean shook his head.

"No, we need the bow to cover us and you might not be able to sneak away if we go back now. It's only been an hour and half, lets keep going."

"Tenacity. I love it." She grinned and they got back in the cars. Shane rode with her again, and he looked over at her when she pulled away and started driving.

"What?" She asked, noticing him looking at her.

"You gotta show me how to shoot that thing. If we'd used our guns, we'd probably have a dozen more walkers to fight off."

"I'll show you." She said, nodding. "Just don't let anything happen to it."

"Wouldn't dream of it. Tomorrow?"

"If we get this done today I have to readjust the solar panels, then we can. The snow really fucked them up."

He nodded and looked out at the street, but watched her from the corner of his eye. He and Rick had removed Ian's blood stain from the road, gotten rid of the car they had been behind, all so it was impossible to tell exactly the spot he'd been killed in. Still, she didn't look at that side of the road at all when they pulled up. He put a hand on hers, squeezing it comfortingly and she smiled at him.

They started at the inside this time, working toward the barrier. They didn't block the doors at until they finished, giving Trouble a way to get in if somebody came. They got through the first two buildings rapidly, and Rick looked out at one point and saw her standing in the road, smoking a cigarette and watching the road beyond the barrier closely. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt, and hammered a door to the top of a window overlooking the street. He heard T-Dog and Shane behind him as they started to punch a hole through the wall. When they cleared it, he walked through and found himself in a pharmacy, the shelves almost bare and scattered around on the floor.

"I was waiting to get to this one." Trouble said from the doorway, and grabbed a plastic bag lying on the floor. She started picking up stray bottles of shampoo, razors, anything they could use back home. There wasn't much, and soon she was going over the shelves in the back where the good meds had been kept.

"Trouble?" Dean said, standing just outside the door. She looked up at him and he pointed to the road ahead. "Walkers."

She grabbed her bow from the counter and walked outside quickly, dropping the bag she had gathered in the street, and they watched as she walked toward the barrier, her bow drawn and aimed. Rick and Shane leaned out of the door and saw four walkers approaching, and she let her arrow go, burying it in the skull of the first one. The second was hit before the first hit the ground. She dispatched them and looked back at them in the doorway.

"Go on." She said impatiently, shooing them in with her hand. Dean chuckled and wiped the sweat off his face before helping T-Dog rip another of the inner doors free and handing it to Sam and Rick. They hammered it up and moved to punching a hole in the wall. They were breaking through when she poked her head in and saw Rick. "Hey." She said, and he went to her.

"That building we were in had special shades, remember?"

He nodded. "See out, not it."

"Right. Let's go get them, hang them in the last building. Could be helpful."

"I'll tell the others. Wait here. Don't go ahead." He pointed at her and she held up her hands in surrender.

"Ok, god..." She said and he chuckled, leaning into the building and speaking. He stepped in and grabbed a hammer and nails, and the two of them walked to the building they had been in before. He followed her up the stairs, and she noticed his frown when they got to the apartment.

"What's wrong?" She asked, going to the back bedroom.

"I just keep thinking of that knife to your throat." He said.

She let out a 'huh', and started taking the shades down. "Yeah, that was super fun."

"I can't believe I let him get the jump on us like that." He said, helping her.

"I turned my back, it's on me, not you." She said, rolling the now loose shade in her hands. "Let's not start the 'it's my fault' game again, ok? Makes my head hurt."

He nodded. "Sure. Sorry."

She moved past him and started taking the second shade down. "It's nailed. Will you use the claw on the hammer?" She stepped aside as he pried it loose, taking a moment to look around the room. "Hey, look at this." She said, and he saw her pick up a silver chain from the floor. She brought it to him and held it up. A little angel with blue wings dangled from the petite chain and she smiled up at him. "For Jules. What do you think?"

"She'll love it." He said, and she shoved it in her pocket. She frowned suddenly and held up her hand, her head tilting to the side. "You hear that?"

He froze, listening hard. The sound was faint, but it was an engine. "Son of a bitch! What the fuck is going on around here?" She cursed and grabbed the walkie on her hip.

"Dean? Stop." She said loudly through the speaker and they heard the sounds of hammers stop across the street. "You hear that?"

"It's a car. Maybe two." He said after a minute.

"We're still across the street but we're out of sight. You know what to do. If they think we're protecting the town they won't think to look for the house. I guess we'll find out if this is gonna work."

"Copy. Stay low, girl." He said and she clipped the walkie back to her belt.

She looked at Rick and let out a deep breath. "Here we go."

Dean was right. Two cars pulled up and stopped at the barrier. Two men got out of the first one, three more from the other, and they walked up to the barrier, hats coming off and lots of scratching of heads ensued. They looked tired, a little dirty, but a hell of a lot better than Bill and Betsy.

"Who did this?" One of the men, a younger guy with red hair and a slight goatee asked.

"Whoever is it might still be here. Be careful, Tom." Another said. He had dark hair cut close to his head. He couldn't have been more than her age. A tall guy, Tom, she guessed, frowned and scanned the buildings and the street.

"They're still here. I can feel 'em watching us." He had a deep voice, and he looked concerned more than anything. "Tell Sarah and Polly to stay in the cars, Rob." The dark hair guy motioned back to the cars and turned back. They had weapons in their hands, but they didn't look like they wanted to use them if they didn't need to. Trouble looked at Rick questioningly, and he pressed his lips together.

"Wait and see. They aren't like the others, that much is clear." Rick whispered and Trouble looked across the street. She saw the flash of T-Dog's rifle scope in the window, but no one else seemed to notice it.

Tom stepped forward and hopped up on the cars. "Hello?" He called out and Trouble narrowed her eyes, watching him closely. "Hello? Look, I know you're there. We need help, please."

Rick felt his stomach tighten. This reminded him of the CDC, how he'd asked the camera to let them in, not sure if anybody was on the other side to hear it.

Tom tried again. "We don't want trouble. But it looks pretty secure here, and there's a lot of those things down the hill. We can't go back down there."

"Fuck me." Trouble whispered, her head falling to the wall below the sill. She ducked down and went to the bathroom again. She pressed the button on her walkie and whispered. "Dean?"

"Yeah?" He whispered back.

"They don't look dangerous."

"You want to bring them in?" He hissed.

"Of course not. But we could let them come inside the barrier till the walker are gone. They won't have their cars and we can take the weapons."

"I thought the whole point of this little exercise was to keep people away, Trouble."

"The people that want to hurt us, yes. But not to send people to their graves that don't deserve it. I gotta feeling."

"You gotta feeling. She's gotta feeling." She heard him say to the others. "Fine. But we fire if they don't drop their weapons. You got it?"

"Yeah. Thanks." She put the walkie back on her belt and rushed back to the window, crouching down next to Rick. He'd heard the hushed conversation.

"I think you're right." He whispered, taking her hand.

"I guess we'll find out." She answered, leaning against him nervously. They got their guns ready, and waited.

"I don't think anybody's here Tom." Rob said, but Tom put his hand out behind him to hush him. He knew they were there, she could see it in his face. He was a quick one.

Dean voice came over the whole street, low and clear. "We don't let anybody in here, buddy. Find another way through."

All their heads snapped over toward the sound of his voice, and she saw Tom's broad shoulders fall in relief. "We can't. The road back there is crawling with those things. We wouldn't even have come up here but we were cut off." Tom shouted back. "Please, can we come across? We've got women here, one's hurt pretty bad."

"Was she bitten?" Dean's voice was sharp.

"No. Broke her leg a few days ago. She's in a lot of pain." Tom said, and Rick's head went down.

"You were right." He whispered and she looked at him strangely. "Fuck me, right?" He continued. She chuckled silently and shrugged.

"Man, the last people who came by here had other motives. You look over that cliff you might still be able to see what's left of 'em." Dean said and the younger men's faces went pale, and they glanced at the cliff edge.

"Tom, let's just go. We can shoot our way through, drive through the walkers." A young man with sandy blond hair and wide set, expressive eyes came up behind Tom and frowned.

"We don't get Polly somewhere safe, she's gonna die, Harmon." Tom said harshly. He turned back toward Dean's voice. "I'm sorry to bother you, man. But we really need help here. Please."

Dean paused, and Trouble could almost hear him cussing. "Have everybody give you all their weapons. I don't care if it's a fuckin' bowstaff. You get 'em and bring 'em to the middle of the street and drop 'em."

Tom looked worried. "What about the walkers?"

"Dude, you're surrounded by enough firepower to start a war. We'll cover you." Dean said and Trouble grinned. He was funny sometimes. Tom let out a deep breath and held out his hands to the four other men. Rob handed his gun over, then red, then Harmon. He got to the last guy and he shook his head.

"Hell no." He said. He was a little older, maybe 40, with a receeding hairline and sharp features.

"He doesn't have to." Dean called out. "He can always walk back down the hill, see how that goes."

Tom looked toward Dean and turned back to the angry man. "David. We gotta do this." David looked at him resentfully but handed him his sidearm. He leaned down and pulled another one out of his ankle holster, and Tom took his jacket off and put all the guns inside of it, tying it into a makeshift bundle. He hopped up on the cars and walked across swiftly. He hit the ground and held his hands up, tossing the bundle in the street and stepping back.

"Raise your shirt and your pants legs." Dean ordered and Tom did as he asked, even turning around so they could see he was really unarmed now.

"I'm trusting you not to kill me here." He said loudly.

"Generally not a good idea but you caught me on a good day. How many walkers are following you?"

Tom shrugged. "Two dozen? Maybe a few more? They're not far away. Can I bring the women in?"

"Get the injured one in and put her on the ground, then all your people do what you just did. I see you're unarmed, we can talk."

Tom jogged back to the barrier, hopping up and crossing it swiftly. He smacked red in the arm and they got to the second car, reaching in back and bringing out a dark haired woman with cloths tied around her left leg. She cried in pain as they carried her to the barrier and over it as gently as they could. When Tom got down, he picked her up wedding style and carried her to the street, laying her down. She went limp and Trouble realized she had passed out.

"You think she's faking?" She whispered.

"No point. And nobody is that good an actress." Rick answered. Another woman, with short brown hair, got out of the first car's backseat and looked around fearfully. She was pretty in a mousy way, and she followed the men to the barrier, allowing David to help her up, but when she got to the ground on the other side she ran straight for Tom, huddling closely to his side. Tom pointed to the street ahead and said something she couldn't hear, but each member of the party except the woman on the ground lifted their shirts a bit and their pant legs to show they were unarmed.

"Some of us are coming out, but you make one wrong move, and you're gonna have a lot more problems than a couple walkers, you got it?" Dean said and Tom nodded.

"Yes, Yeah, I got it."

"Rick and I are going out. Send Shane. You, Sam, and T-Dog cover us." Trouble whispered in the walkie, ducking back toward the front room of the apartment. Rick followed her close behind.

"You be careful, Trouble. I'm not taking you home this time if you get shot." Dean said and she shook her head.

"Funny. Have Shane come out when we do." She clipped the walkie back to her waist and went silently down the stairs. Rick grabbed her arm halfway down and turned her toward him. He put his hand on her cheek and stared into her eyes.

"I'm going to be right next to you, but you fire first, ask questions later."

She put her hand on his and nodded. "Don't worry. I think Dean put the fear of god in them."

She took a deep breath and walked out into the sunlight. Tom's head shot over toward her and she saw red's mouth drop open.

"Whoa." He said softly and Tom looked at her and Rick, then over at Shane, who was walking out of a office across the street. Like them, he had his gun ready in his hand, and Tom looked back at her, his face wary but trusting. He had blue gray eyes, she noticed, with smile lines around them.

He let out a deep breath. "Thank you."

She shook her head. "Admission interview isn't over yet. Pat them down, the women too." She said and Rick and Shane stepped forward and ran through the small group quickly. The woman at Tom's side cried out a little when Shane went near her and Trouble looked at her. "He's not the one you have to worry about, lady."

Shane looked back at her and she stifled a smile. They finished with the lady on the ground, and she noticed none of the new group had taken their eyes off her. They probably looked pretty strange to them and she tried to ignore it.

"Clear." Shane said, stepping back beside her and Rick came to her other side.

"We got company!" Dean called out from the building and shots rang out. The small group ducked, all except Tom, and she pointed at him with her free hand.

"Don't move." She moved past but kept her eyes on him. The walkers were stumbling and shambling around the bend in the road, and she, Shane, and Rick joined Dean, Sam, and T-Dog's gunfire. The walkers dropped like piles of mud, three dozen or so, and as their gunfire slowed and stopped, Trouble turned and went back to Tom. Rick stayed right beside her, and Shane circled around to stand on her other side.

"They're gone. You can go now." She said flatly and Tom frowned.

"Look, thank you for helping us, but I can't take Polly back out there like this. She'll die, and then..."

He trailed off. "And she'll wake back up. I know." Trouble said. She took a deep breath and looked down at the ground, her hand on her hip. "God damnit." She muttered and turned around quickly, grabbing her walkie and walking away. "Hershel, you there?"

"I can see you, Trouble." He said calmly.

"Well, then you already know that we have an injured person out here. She broke her leg. Can you come?"

"I can."

"Have Andrea bring you." She said and turned around. Tom and the others were still watching her closely. She sighed and walked back to them, clipping the walkie to her jeans. She ignored Tom and the others and went to the woman on the ground. She put her gun in her holster and got down next to her. Her pants had already been ripped and Trouble moved them away from the leg, exposing the swollen and purple skin. It was twice it's normal size and she sat back and bit her lip. "It looks really bad." She said to Rick and Shane.

Tom walked over to her and they moved in quickly behind him, but he ignored them, getting down on Polly's other side. "It happened three days ago. We were climbing over a fence and she fell."

Trouble looked up at him, frowning. "We'll get her looked at."

"You have a doctor? Is that who you called?" He asked hopefully and she nodded. He grinned and sat back on his haunches. "That's great. Thank you."

She pushed her sunglasses up on her face and looked up as a truck came down the road. Andrea stopped and got out, a gun in her hand, and she stayed next to Hershel as he gathered his bag and came to Polly's side. Trouble stood up and got out of his way, going to Rick and Shane.

"She's in pain." She said, frowning. "She's not going anywhere for a while."

"What do you want to do?" Rick asked and she pointed to the buildings behind them.

"They can stay in the apartments up there for a while." She said. "We check the cars, take all the weapons, keep covering the street like we were."

"You think that's a good idea?" Shane asked, eying the men carefully.

"Are you getting a bad vibe?" She asked.

"Not really. But it doesn't stop me from being nervous."

"We still have the electric gate, the razor wire. We know this place like the back of our hand, they don't. And they're unarmed." She said, and he nodded.

"Yeah."

"And we can watch them on the monitors." Rick said. He agreed with her wholeheartedly, they couldn't send this group back out there like that.

Sam, Dean, and T-Dog came out and Tom's group looked even more surprised. Tom left Hershel to look at Polly, and came to stand in front of her as the guys gathered in a semi circle behind her. He looked around at them, his eyes landing on Dean.

"You the one I was talking to?" Tom asked and Dean narrowed his eyes at him.

"Yeah."

"Thank you. It's been getting bad out there." Tom said.

"Thank her, man. I was gonna leave you out there." Dean said flatly and Tom looked at Trouble.

"Well, then thank you." He said, sticking his hand out. "I'm Tom."

She took it and they shook. "I'm Trouble."

"You sure are." Red said from behind him, his eyes going up and down, and suddenly he had six guns pointed at his face.

"What was that?" Shane asked with a low, deadly voice, and Tom hissed at the boy to get back.

"I'm sorry about Mark. He's an idiot, but he's harmless." Tom threw a threatening glance back at Mark, who kicked the a rock on the ground with his shoe. "We didn't mean any disrespect."

They lowered their guns and Trouble saw Hershel get up and walk toward them. "She's in shock." He said. "I need to set and stabilize the break, get her on antibiotics and painkillers."

"Ok." Trouble said and he frowned at her.

"I can't do that out here, Trouble."

"If she goes in, she goes alone." Dean said, looking at Trouble, and she nodded back at him. She motioned for them to step away with her.

"Get her in the back of the truck. T, Sam, go with them, but stay at the gate, Sam. You hear shots, any one of these people come up that road you shoot on sight." She spoke low and they nodded, moving away. Hershel and Andrea got back in the truck as T-Dog and Sam went to pick up Polly.

"Where are they taking her?" The other woman asked, panic in her voice, and she came up behind Tom and knotted her fist in his shirt. Trouble turned and stepped back toward him. She could hear them loading the passed out Polly in the back of the truck and it drove away quickly.

"It's ok, Sarah. They're taking her to get some help." Tom said, holding her back.

"How do you know you can trust them?" She asked and he looked Trouble in the eye.

"I just do." He said and Trouble nodded at him. There was something about him that she knew was a lot like her. He looked back at the woman. "This is my girlfriend, Sarah. That's Mark, Robert, Harmon, and David. Polly has the broken leg."

Trouble pointed to Rick and went around. "That's Rick, Shane and Dean." She said and her walkie went off.

"Trouble, Juliana is looking for you." Maggie's voice came over and Trouble winced.

"Fuck." She cursed and picked it up. "Keep her calm. I'm on my way." She said, and looked back at Tom. "They're gonna show you where you can stay. This whole place is wired, I can see every move you make. Tell your people to keep their heads, if they know what's good for them."

"I will." Tom said and she looked at Rick, Shane, and Dean, and flicked her eyebrows up at them.

They nodded at her and she walked away, grabbing the bundle of guns as she went and tossing them in the back of her Jeep. She pulled away and Tom watched her go before turning back to the guys.

"I'll show you where to go." Rick took the initiative and led Tom away while Shane and Dean went to check the cars for weapons. He took him to the second building and Tom followed him upstairs. "Apartments above all the buildings, and you can use this one and the next one. Stay out of the rest, and definitely stay out of the ones across the street."

"Got it." Tom said, surveying the rooms. They were messy but there were beds, things they could salvage. "You took our guns, though."

"Yeah." Rick nodded, his hands on his hips.

"If walkers come, what do we do?" Tom asked and Rick raised his eyebrows.

"Trouble told you, we can see you. We'll take care of it. But we don't know you, and we took a chance even letting you in here."

Tom looked at him strangely. "How long were you a cop? You and that big guy out there?" Rick furrowed his eyebrows and Tom let out a breath. "I was a state trooper. I can spot a uniform a mile away."

"Good eye." Rick said, walking away. He jogged down the stairs and out the door and Tom followed him. "Don't leave this street. You do, we will shoot on sight. We'll come tell you when we know something about your friend."

"Thanks." Tom said, watching them walk back into the SUV in the street and drive away. Mark came up behind him and he turned around.

"Man, you see that girl? She was smokin'." The young man said and Tom frowned at him, his hands on his hips.

"Did you notice the firepower aimed right at your head? Not one more word about her." Tom said and David, the man with the vanishing hairline grinned.

"He was right though. She was a piece."

Tom shook his head and walked away. "You two are going to get us killed, I swear."


	42. New neighbors

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself. Anyway, it just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernatural's Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

Trouble was sitting with Jules on her lap, aimed away from the monitors when they got back. "Hey Jules? Why don't you go play with Carl for a little bit. I'll be right here, ok?" She said and the little girl got down off her lap. Sam and T-Dog were already in the control room and she leaned back in her chair and looked at the guys around her.

"Thoughts?" She said with a sigh, and Dean spoke first.

"Still don't really know why you let them past the barrier."

"Because we're not murderers and they're still well past any real blockages we have. Next?"

"I think it was a good call. They're unarmed. Not much of a threat." Shane said.

"The guy, Tom, was a cop too. He told me." Rick said. "Knew we were too. He's pretty sharp."

"Which could make him dangerous." T-Dog said.

She shook her head. "I don't get that off him."

"Oh, well, why don't we just invite them in then." Dean said sarcastically, rubbing his face with his hands.

"I understand what you're saying, Dean, but she's right. I don't think they're much of a threat." Sam said and she smiled at him.

"Yeah, yeah, ok." Dean said tiredly.

Trouble stood up and looked back at the monitors. "Where did he take the girl?"

"Downstairs to one of the empties." T-Dog said and she nodded.

"Thanks. Who wants to take first watch? We've lost the alarm on the street, we're gonna have to do this the hard way."

"I will." T said and she patted his shoulder as he sat down.

"Somebody will relieve you in a few hours. Thanks T. Dean, get a drink. You look like you need it."

"God, yes." He said and walked out. She looked back at the rest of them. "Get some rest, you guys. We're gonna be 24/7 for a while here. Rick, I need you to stay with Jules for a little while, though. Please. Keep her distracted for me?"

"No problem." He said and left as well.

She ran her hands over her head and took a deep breath. "Ok. I'm gonna go check on Hershel."

"I'll go with you." Shane said, and they left T alone to watch the monitors.

It was easy to find Hershel, the first door they came to was open and he and Maggie were buzzing around the girl.

"How is she?" Trouble asked from the doorway, Shane close behind.

"Stable. We set her leg, made it immobile. I've started her on antibiotics, the strongest we have, and the painkillers should keep her comfortable." Hershel said, sitting down in a chair by the bed. "Now we just wait to see if it works. If it does, her fever will go down soon."

Trouble nodded. "Thanks, Hershel. Keep me posted, ok?"

He nodded. "Maggie or I will stay with her till she wakes up. I'll let you know."

Trouble smiled and she and Shane walked back towards the elevator. They got to it, but she backed up and went into the training room, sitting down on the bench and leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "Is this really right, Shane? What I'm doing?"

He sat down next to her and rubbed her back. "What _we're_ doing. And I think so."

She looked up at him, and sat up. "If something happens to anybody while they're here, though..."

"It won't. Just like you said, they're unarmed. We're behind the wall." He cut her off and she bit her lip almost hard enough to draw blood. "If I thought they were dangerous, I would've told you."

"Yeah, I know." She nodded. "Thanks for having my back."

He grinned. "Always."

She stood up and he threw his arm over her shoulders, and they went back upstairs. Trouble sat with Jules for a while, the little girl on her lap. "Where were you?" Jules asked, her face concerned.

"I had some work to do, Jules. Did you have fun with Carol?" She squeezed her and smiled.

"Yeah. She read to us, and showed me how to do long division."

"That's very cool. Did you like it?"

"Yeah. Carol says I'm good at it." She said proudly.

"That's great. Are you going to do more long division tomorrow?"

"I don't know."

Carol came to the kitchen door and called them to dinner. Jules grabbed her hand and Trouble walked with her and Carl to the kitchen. She fixed Jules' dinner and picked at her own. The table was quieter than usual. The kids didn't know about the new people, and everyone wanted to make sure it stayed that way. Rick looked down at Trouble, knowing what she was thinking. He was thinking the same thing. He quietly excused himself from the table and went to the laundry room. He grabbed a paper bag and got some blackout candles from the closet, putting them in it. He gathered a couple first aid supplies they could spare, matches, and put several bottles of water inside as well.

He opened another bag and filled it with some canned goods, chips, cookies. Not enough to really be noticed, but enough to go around the small group for a day or two. A movement from the door caught his eye and his head snapped up. Trouble was leaning against the door frame, smiling at him.

"Why am I not surprised?" She said, walking in and looking in the bags. "Looks good. Should hold them over for a couple days."

"I figured you were going to do it anyway." He said, standing back.

"And you'd be right. Thanks for doing it." She tilted her head at him, smiling. "Come on. I want to talk to everybody before I give Jules a bath."

He nodded, leaving the bags and following her to the control room. The others had eaten quickly, and we waiting for them. She gave the room a small smile and stuck her hands in her back pockets. "I want you all to get some sleep, but I needed to remind you this doesn't change anything. We're going back out in the morning and finish boarding up the buildings we were working on. T, you're gonna stay on monitors another hour and then Glen is going to take over for the night. Remember, we don't have an alarm to depend on while they're out there, so don't leave unless somebody's here."

She was met with a chorus of 'ok's' and nods, and she took a deep breath. "I also wanted to tell you that I'm giving them a walkie so they can reach us if somebody else comes. So, the walkie system won't be secure anymore. Watch what you say." They nodded again, and Dean tipped a bottle of whiskey, taking a drink and handing it to Sam. "Alright. Goodnight, guys."

She left them and got Jules from the common room, and took her back to the bedroom. She ran a bath and washed her hair. It was becoming a routine she enjoyed, and Jules chatted happily as she rinsed her hair and went to get her clothes from the bureau. She brought them back and dried the girl off, and helped her get dressed for bed. She was brushing her hair out when the knock came and she knew instinctively it was Rick.

"Come in." She called and Carl opened the door, running to the bed and leaping up on it. Rick followed and she smiled at him. "Hey."

"I thought you could use Carl." He said, and she let Jules go so she could go to the foot of the bed with Carl.

"You were right." She said. "Again."

He shrugged and went around the bed, taking his place from the night before. "It's a gift."

"A helpful one. Don't lose it." She said, leaning back against the pillows. She picked up the remote. "Carl, did you guys figure out what you wanted to watch?"

He looked back. "Can we watch Transformers?"

"You sure that won't scare Juliana?" Rick asked. "It's a little loud."

"It won't scare me." Jules said and he smiled.

"Ok then." He said and Trouble brought it up for them. She and Rick sat back and waited, and true to form, both kids were asleep half an hour into the movie, curled up between them. She turned the movie down a little and looked at Rick.

"I don't think they're ever going to finish a movie." She said, getting up and tucking the covers in around the kids. Rick did the same on the other side, and they slipped out the door quietly.

"Carol is waiting in the common room. I asked her to watch them while we're gone." He said.

"Great." She said, nodding. "I'll go get an update from Hershel. I'll find you when I'm done." He nodded and she headed downstairs.

"Any changes?" She asked softly when she got to the door of the room they were keeping the girl in. Hershel was sitting in the chair reading a book, but put it down when he saw her.

"We gave her fluids, and he temperature is down a few degrees. I think the antibiotics are working, but she hasn't woken up yet. I won't know anything more for a while."

She nodded. "Ok. Thanks, Hershel." He nodded and went back to his book, and she went back upstairs to find Rick.

He was in the kitchen grabbing a few things from the fridge and adding them to the bag. She went to the control room and found Glen sitting in the chair. She reached around him and grabbed a couple walkies, attaching them to her belt. "Rick and I are going to give them an update on their girl. Keep your eyes sharp, watch for problems, and send Shane and T if it's needed."

"How will I know if it's needed?" He asked and she gave him a wry smile.

"If I shoot one of them, take it as a cue." She reached around him and got the spare gate key from the desk drawer.

"You got it." He said, widening his eyes and spinning around.

"They're getting a walkie, so listen for them to call for help when I get back. If they do, come get me."

"Ok."

She checked her weapon, grabbing a second one and putting it on her other hip, and got Rick from the kitchen. They left quietly, and soon, the cool wind was blowing on her face as they drove to the gate. Rick got out, turned it off, and opened it, and she waited for him to lock it back and get back in.

Tom heard them coming and walked to the street. He and the others had spent the last couple hours straightening the rooms above and Sarah and the others had fallen asleep. He'd come out to wait. He had a feeling he hadn't seen the last of them for the night.

He watched Trouble stop the car and she and the cop got out, looking around carefully as they approached him.

"How's Polly?" He asked, his face tense.

Trouble stopped a few feet from him and crossed her arms over her chest. Rick stood close to her, eyeballing Tom warily. "We've gave her fluids, and started her on antibiotics. Hershel set her leg, got her out of pain. She's still not awake, but it looks like it starting to work. Her temperature is down a little."

Tom let out a deep breath and put his hands on his head, leaning back and obviously relieved. "Oh man. That's great. We can't thank you enough."

"No problem. Where's the rest of your crew?" She asked.

"Sleeping. They were pretty worn out." He said, his hands going to his hips.

Trouble nodded. "Yeah, well, you should get some rest too. We've got somebody watching the street, you're safe. Anything comes, we'll be here in two minutes, but you stay hidden." She said, and Rick backed up, grabbing the paper bags from the Jeep.

"Figured you might be hungry." Rick said and Tom grinned, accepting the bags. "Got some candles, matches, bandages too. In case you needed them."

"That's amazing." He said gratefully, looking back up at them. "We were almost out, I didn't know what we were gonna do."

"We could spare it." She said, pulling out the extra walkie and handing it to him. He accepted it and looked at her curiously. "I'm carrying one too. You need something, use it, but you bother me with bullshit, I'll take it back."

He looked down at it. "Understood."

"I'll let you know if anything changes with your girl." She said, taking a step back and she and Rick turned and walked back to the Jeep.

"Thank you." He called out and she held up a hand as they got back in the Jeep. The got back into the house without incident, and she checked on Glen again, though it wasn't really necessary. When she got back to the bedroom, Carol was sitting in the chair waiting for her.

"How was it?" Trouble whispered, taking off her jacket and hanging it in the closet.

"Slept like angels, both of them." Carol said. "Rick came by, said he was going to get a shower and come check on Carl."

"Great. Thanks, Carol. Get some sleep. I'm going to need you to repeat the day tomorrow. I shouldn't be gone as long though." Trouble said, unwrapping her braid and shaking her hair out.

"I'd love to. I have so much fun with them." She said, smiling.

"Well, you're a lifesaver. I'll see you in the morning." She said and Carol left. Trouble got a hot shower, trying to relieve the tension in her shoulders that had appeared the moment Tom and his group had. She dressed and brushed her hair and teeth, and when she emerged from the shower she found Rick laying next to Carl, his eyes closed, but he opened them and looked at her when she got to the bed.

"Do you mind I came back?" He asked and she yawned, shaking her head. She put the walkie on her nightstand and crawled into bed.

"I'm too tired to mind." She said, snuggling into the deep covers.

"Goodnight." He said, a peaceful smile on his face. He reached out and brushed her loose hair back from her face, and she fell asleep with him still rubbing her hair gently. He turned on his side and watched her beautiful, sleeping face till his own eyes closed.

Rick and Carl were gone when she woke up. Jules had stretched across their side of the bed. She grinned and laid there a minute. 'Their side of the bed', she thought. She never would have imagined it. She felt safe, comfortable with them there, but the day she got her bed back to herself would be a good one. Jules was getting more at ease, maybe tonight she'd be ok with sleeping with Carl in his room. She got up and was getting dressed when Jules sat up and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Trouble pulled on her v neck black hunting shirt and black pants on and sat back down to brush Jules' hair.

"Carol is going to give you breakfast and you're going to do some more school. How does that sound?" She asked casually as she brushed her hair.

"Ok. Where are you going to be?" Jules looked back at her.

"Upstairs. Close." She said, hating lying to the girl but she'd freak if she knew she was going outside, with strangers no less. Jules nodded and Trouble patted her shoulder, getting her up. She helped her dress and they brushed their teeth together, and Jules watched as Trouble brushed her own hair out and put it in a high ponytail. She went back out and put her bowie knife on her leg and her hip holster on her side. She was keeping her gun in the control room while Jules was in her room, so it was empty as they left the room.

Carol had a plate ready for Jules next to Carl, and Jules sat in Rick's seat. Trouble grabbed some coffee, hugged Jules, and winked at Carol as she left the room. She went downstairs to check on the girl, and found Maggie sitting with her.

"Is Hershel getting some sleep?" Trouble asked, walking in the room.

"Yeah, he was worn out." Maggie said. "Her temperature is still going down. Its almost back to normal."

Trouble took a sip of her coffee. "Still hasn't woken up, though?"

"She talked a little in her sleep, but I couldn't understand it. I don't think it'll be too much longer."

"Thanks, Maggie. You rock." Trouble said, and she grinned. Trouble went to the control room and found the others waiting for her.

"Finally." Dean said and she shot a deadly glare at him.

"Not enough coffee yet, Dean." She said, sitting her cup down and stepping in between Rick and Shane for her gun. She stuck it in her holster and put her quiver over her shoulder. She grabbed her bow and followed the others to the door. Andrea was watching the monitors for them, and she waved as they passed. It was obvious it was mostly meant for Sam, but Trouble nodded at her anyway.

The gate slid back for them and she saw it was another beautiful day. She was starting to hate beautiful days. Things always went to shit on days like this. She stuck her bow in the back of her Jeep and Sam hopped up next to her as she pushed her sunglasses on the bridge of her nose. When they pulled down to the street they parked away from the new group. They were sitting close together by the second building, but they got up when they saw Trouble and the guys, and Tom walked toward them.

Trouble got out and nodded for the guys to go on inside. She grabbed her bow and faced the barrier, and she looked at him from the corner of her eye when Tom got close. "Your girl is doing a little better. Temperature is still going down. Hershel thinks she'll be awake soon."

"That's great. Please thank him for us." He said and she nodded. "What are you guys doing in there?" He nodded toward the building, and the sounds of hammers and crashing drywall filled the air.

"Working."

"Do you need some help? We could..." He glanced back at his group. They were looking at her with wide eyes, she looked like a warrior, he could understand. Mark's tongue was almost wagging, and Tom prayed he didn't say anything else stupid.

"No, we're good." She said, gripping her bow tighter.

"We want to do something for you helping us. You guys have been amazing about Polly, the food. All we've run across is people trying to kill us, take our weapons." He said and she tilted her head at him.

"I did take your weapons."

He raised an eyebrow. "Somehow, I don't think it's the same thing."

She let out a breath. "You see anything out there?"

He shook his head. "Quiet all night."

"Too bad it doesn't last." She said and strung an arrow. She stepped forward and aimed at a walker that had been drawn by the noise. It came around the bend and she dropped it, her arrow in the middle of its forehead. Sarah squealed and jumped, running toward Tom and clutching his side.

She took her sunglasses off and frowned at the girl. "Please tell me you don't do that every time you see a geek."

"She doesn't. Sorry. It's ok, Sarah. Go back, finish breakfast." Tom calmed her and she reluctantly walked back to the others, taking a seat on the curb. Trouble shook her head and put her sunglasses back on, her gaze returning to the road ahead. "I'm sorry. She's nervous about not being armed, and Polly being gone. She's had some bad experiences."

Trouble looked at him strangely and he seemed to know he'd just said the dumbest, most obvious thing. He started to try and clarify, but Shane walked out and stood next to Trouble, his height at it's most imposing. "Walker?"

"Yeah. I think the noise is drawing them." She said just as another came around the bend. She fired an arrow and dropped it, stepping back to stand by Shane. "I got it covered. They're just drifting in."

He nodded, and Tom caught Shane's attention. "You guys sure we can't help? Sounds like you're doing some pretty heavy stuff in there."

Shane narrowed his eyes and looked down at Trouble. "Up to you." She said and Shane looked around him at the others in his group. He shrugged and nodded, and Tom looked back.

"Robert, Harmon. Come here." He said and they jogged over. "Go with Shane, do what he says."

Shane looked down at her. "We're sealing this door."

She nodded. "Gotcha." Robert and Harmon followed him inside and he closed the door behind them, and she heard the sound of nails going into it.

"I don't mean to pry, but what's up with you guys?" Tom asked. "You show up out of nowhere and you got this place locked down. A doctor, food, medicine, and you guys are cleaner and dressed better than anyone I've seen since this whole thing started. Are you military? The way you shoot, I gotta think you are."

She chuckled. "We're way more organized than that."

He grinned. "Then what's the deal?"

She looked at him and furrowed her brow. "You ever heard of Pandora?"

"Pandora? No." He said, confused.

"It's a story about a girl who finds this box. She's told not to open it, that she should stay away. But she gets curious, opens it anyway, and she lets out chaos, mayhem. The world ends because she had to know what would happen."

Tom got quiet. He looked out toward the road ahead. "Curiosity killed the cat." He said softly.

"Disco."

"The world already ended, and I'm not a cat." He said, his eyebrow raised. He was joking.

"Unbelievable." She said, walking away from him. The redhead caught her attention from the corner of her eye, and he was moving fast. In a flash she had her sidearm out and aimed at his head, and he froze several feet from her. "What are you doing?"

Tom stepped in front of her, and held up his hands. Mark stuck his head around him and grinned at her, and she felt Dean and Rick move up behind her, their hands on their guns. "I just wanted to tell you you're awesome with that thing. They way you're taking out those walkers, man." Tom looked at her apologetically, and shoved Mark back roughly.

"He doesn't learn real fast, does he?" She asked Tom and turned her head. "I'm good guys. Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Dean said, pointing to Mark. "Stay back. I'm not going to tell you again, dude."

"He has boundary issues." Tom said as they walked away. "They're really protective of you." He looked back at Trouble.

"Goes both ways." She holstered her weapon and brought her bow up again, taking out another walker that had wandered into sight. Mark let out a cheer and she looked at him like he was nuts. "Really?"

"Mark, sit down and shut the hell up." Tom said angrily and the young man grabbed a spot next to Sarah on the curb.

"How the hell have you survived with that guy?" She asked, shaking her head.

He shrugged. "He's a good shot, stronger than he looks. But most of the time I want to staple his lips together."

"I can find you the staple gun you ever decide to act on that." She said and he laughed. "You know, your girlfriend looks real anxious. She could probably use some company." Her walkie crackled to life, and she heard feedback from the one on Tom's belt. She took a few steps away from him and put the speaker to her lips. "Repeat that base."

Glen's voice came over the clearer. "That chick woke up, Trouble."

"Copy that." She said and Tom moved around her.

"She's awake. Can we see her?"

"Sure. When Hershel says she's ready to come out." Trouble said, raising her bow and firing at another walker. "I'm gonna run out of arrows if this keeps up." She said, looking back at her quiver.

"I'll get them." Tom said and she looked at him.

"I'll cover you."

He grinned and jogged to the barrier, hopping up on it lightly and across, dropping down on the other side. Sarah stood up, watching him with a terrified expression. He ripped the arrows free of the bodies and turned and ran back quickly. He held the arrows out and Trouble took them.

"I guess you do bring something to the table." She said, and he smiled wider. "Are you always so cheerful though?"

"Usually."

"Have you not been paying attention? The world has gone to hell, man."

"I noticed. But you seem to be getting along ok."

"Yeah, real great. I'm actually working on an expansion project. A cemetery. Just keeps filling up, no matter what I do."

"You lost somebody recently, I take it."

"Did I miss the memo? Is this share hour now?" She asked, hearing the hammers move ahead to the next building. They _were_ working faster. She walked ahead to keep pace, but noticed the dark haired man walk over to Tom.

"How's Polly?" He asked.

"Better. They said her fever is down some more. She's awake." Tom answered.

"When can we see her?" The guy asked, but Tom held up his hands.

"Soon, Robert. When she's well enough to come out."

"Why can't we see her now? Where did they take her?" Robert pushed.

"Calm down. She's fine."

"How do you know? For all you know, she's dead somewhere. They're like robots, man. Look at her."

Trouble looked back at Robert and Tom. "Dude, if I wanted her dead I'd have killed you all already. And I sure as hell wouldn't be wasting food on you. She's safe."

Robert took a step toward her and she reached for her gun and he stopped. "Then why can't we see her?"

"Because I don't know if you're bullshitting me and scoping us out."

"We're not." Tom stepped between them. "We're just worried about her. Robert, go sit down. Now."

"You need to control your people better, man." She said as the angry young man walked away, taking her hand away from her gun and watching the road.

"I could use some pointers. Robert hasn't been with us long. Looks like you got it figured out though. Those guys are watching you like a hawk." He said, looking up at Shane watching them from an upstairs window. He put a board over it and the hammering noise got louder.

"I thought you were a cop." She said, and he nodded.

"I am. Or, was." He said, coming up beside her but staying far enough away to not threaten.

"Then you should have it down by now." Her walkie came on again and she sighed when the feedback came again. She looked at him wearily. "You think you could back up, man?" He did so and she picked up her walkie. "Sorry, base. Please repeat."

Glen sounded exasperated. "I said that chick is freaking out. Wants to see Tom."

"You gotta be fuckin kidding me." She muttered and put the speaker to her mouth. "Have Hershel sedate her."

"He says he can't. Something about it being too close to her being out. Complicates it or whatever."

"You're killing me, here, Glen." She said.

"Not trying to."

She sighed again, deeper. "Is Maggie there with you?"

"Yeah."

"Maggie, tell her Tom is coming. Calm her down. Keep Carl and Juliana far away, I don't want them to see _anything_. You copy? I'm serious."

"Copy." He answered and Trouble looked over at the buildings. "How much longer, guys? We gotta get back."

"Ten minutes, maybe." Dean called out.

"You got 5." She said, and Rick brought Tom's two guys out. They rejoined Sarah and Robert at the curb across the street. She could hear the door he'd come out of get nailed shut behind him.

"It's mostly done. A few tweaks maybe, but we can do it later." Rick said, looking at Tom as he came up beside them a little more. "What's going on?"

"That chick is having a meltdown. Won't stop till she sees him and Hershel says he can't sedate her."

"So, we're taking him in?" Rick put his hands on his hips, concern on his face. "What about Carl and Jules?"

"They won't see anything. In and out." She looked over at Tom, who looked pleased. "Don't look so happy, man. It makes me want to shoot you. Badly." He wiped the smile off his face but the pleased demeanor didn't diminish. She rolled her eyes and looked at the others came from around the buildings. "Explain it to them for me. I can't do it again."

Rick nodded and briefed the others, Tom went to tell his group where he was going, and she walked alone back to the Jeep. She turned suddenly and pointed to Tom. "And tell them to stay inside. The walkers won't come over the cars if they don't see them." She watched him speak to them, and hand his walkie to Sarah, who looked tearful that he was leaving her. He quickly consoled her and jogged to Trouble, who had gotten into the Jeep. He hopped into the passenger seat, and Sam grabbed the rails above her and pulled himself up, perching on the back gate. Rick, Shane, Dean and T got into Dean SUV and they took off.

"This is a one time thing, man." She said to Tom as she drove. "You see your girl, and you're out, got it?"

"Yeah." He nodded, looking around as they turned up the drive. She pressed her lips together and let out a frustrated breath. She stopped at the gate, and Tom watched as Sam hopped out and opened the gate for them, and he turned around in his seat to see Sam lock it back again. He hopped back up in the Jeep and she crested the hill.

"Wow." Tom said, his eyes going wide when he saw the concrete fortress. She drove down to the other cars and parked, and Dean pulled up behind her. They all got out and the gate slid back for them. Tom looked around in wonder when they led him into the dim lobby. Rick and Shane stayed behind him, Dean and Sam kept Trouble in between them, and T-Dog backed everybody up at the end.

"What is this place?" Tom breathed the words out when the elevator opened for them, and she looked at him as they got in.

"The questions. They have to stop."

"Sorry." He said and the elevator moved down, opening again in the common room. Tom's mouth dropped open when he saw it. Trouble looked to Rick and Shane and they stepped up beside her. Dean, Sam, and T-Dog went for the control room.

"You have electricity?" Tom asked incredulously. She ignored him.

"This way." She said to Tom and Rick and Shane walked just behind him. She opened the elevator at the end of the hall and they got in, going down again. When they got out on the lower floor Trouble led him to the first door and he poked his head in. Hershel was sitting in the chair, and Maggie was leaning over the crying girl in the bed. Her eyes went wide when she saw him, and he grinned, going to kneel at her bedside, grabbing her hand.

"Tom. Oh my god, I was so scared." She said and he shushed her.

"Hey, hey, it's ok, Polly. I'm here and the others aren't far away." He said, smoothing her hair back. "How do you feel? Are you hurting?"

"No, not anymore." She shook her head and brought up a hand to wipe her face. "Where are we?"

"Mississippi. Hershel here is a doctor, fixed you up. He said you're getting better."

"Who's that?" She asked, looking past him to Trouble, Shane, and Rick in the door way, watching them.

"That's Trouble. She and her people brought you in. They're good people."

"So, we're safe?" She asked.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Everybody's asking about you, they can't wait till you're better, and can come back."

"You're not staying with me? Sarah?" She started to panic again, and he shushed her gently.

"You gotta get better, Polly. And we are right next door, but this is the best place for you."

"It's fine," Trouble stepped away from the door and looked up at Shane and Rick. "We send him back out, he can't get through the gate. It'll be fine."

"Then why do you look nervous?" Shane asked, and she bit her lip.

"I'm not." She said. "Just be happier when he's gone."

Shane flicked his eyebrows. "You and me both."

"It's time." She looked back and saw Tom getting to his feet, saying bye to Polly. "Rick, stay with Jules for me?"

"Where are you going?" He frowned.

"Take him back out. I'll be back in a few." She said and he nodded, not wanting her to go, and she knew it. "I'll only be gone a few. I'll be fine." Tom backed out of the room and they automatically switched gears, Trouble's face going expressionless again. "You done?"

"Yeah." Tom said, shutting the door behind him and taking a deep breath, looking at them. "She looks so much better. I can't thank you enough."

"Let's go." She said and took them to the elevator. The house had come more alive, and he looked around as they walked down the hallway. He looked in Sam's open door and saw him changing his shirt, Dean's open door with music bumping as they passed. They got to the common room and T-Dog had grabbed a beer and turned the tv on, a movie intro flashing across the screen. Were these people purposefully trying to make this look like an adult playground?

"Amy!" She squeezed her eyes shut when she heard Jules' voice, but she turned quickly and darted toward the little girl as she came running out of the kitchen. Rick looked at Shane and followed.

"Jules, what are doing out here?" She asked, scooping the little girl up into her arms and carrying her back to the kitchen.

"Who is that?" Jules looked back at Tom and he waved at her as Trouble whisked her away.

Shane looked at him coldly.

"Don't do that."

"I'm so sorry, Trouble. She saw you and went flying." Carol said with horrified eyes and Trouble shook her head.

"It's ok, Carol." She said and got down next to the kitchen table. "Jules, you're not done with school yet, are you?"

"Who was that?" She asked again, her face growing more fearful.

"Nobody, honey. He lives nearby, came for some food and we gave it to him, and now he's leaving." Trouble smiled and led her back to Rick's chair at the table next to where Carl was, and lifted her up, sitting her on the seat. "Now, I want you to listen to Carol, and finish your work. And when you're done, we'll play."

Jules smiled. "Ok." Trouble kissed the top of her head and went for the door.

"I need an hour." She said softly to Carol and she nodded. Trouble set her jaw as she walked back to the elevator. She hit the button and crossed her arms, obviously anxious. She was pissed, and she gave Tom an icy look when the elevator doors opened. "Get in."

Shane stood behind her, watching her stare ahead. "Was that Juliana?" Tom asked.

"Do _not_ say her name." She said quietly.

"Ok." Tom said. He waited a moment, and spoke again as they reached the door above. "Is she your daughter?"

"Get in the car, man." She said irritatedly, and she got into the Jeep's drivers seat. Shane hopped up behind them and she skidded off toward the gate. Shane opened it and they drove Tom back to the street. She screeched to a stop near the buildings and looked at Tom when he didn't get out immediately. "Goodbye." She said, her voice a little higher than usual.

Tom frowned. "I'm not going to hurt your family. None of us are. Please, don't be upset."

"I don't want to talk about this." She said, sighing. "Go tell your friends about Polly. Use the walkie if you have to, and if anything changes, we'll let you know."

"Ok. Thanks." He said. "That's some place you got there."

"Oh god." She groaned and did a U-turn in the street when Tom stepped back. She took off for home and Shane crawled under the bar and slid down in the empty seat, laughing hard. She gave him a dirty look and he kept laughing, shaking his head.

"That was fuckin hilarious. You could have killed him, looking at him like that."

"I'm so pleased you're amused." She said dryly. "I didn't want her to see him. Now I get to go home and explain it to her. And Carl."

"Rick will take care of that. I'm just going to dwell on how fuckin awesome you are." He said, grinning. She shook her head, but she started to chuckle too, and by the time they got to the gate, she was laughing with him.

"I was horrible, wasn't I?" She said, stopping the car and looking at him.

"It was great." He said, and she put her head on the steering wheel.

"I need a drink."

"Well, then, let's get you one." He said, still chuckling, and opened the gate for her. When they got back inside, he grabbed a bottle from the cabinet and poured tall ones for both of them.


	43. She didn't try to shoot me this time

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself. Anyway, it just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernatural's Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

_I want to thank those of you that have taken the time to review and send me messages! I'm only saying this now because I posted this story all at once- quite a feat considering how long it's been so far. I deeply apologize for the grammatical errors and various mistakes- you have no idea how hard it was to break this us, save and upload it all each chapter at a time from the crazy mess I wrote it in. Probably why it's taken me so long to update, it was a complete nightmare, but knowing you guys love the story as much as I do makes me want to continue. At this point, I always welcome suggestions- this is going on a very long trek, this story, so if there's a place you want to see it end up, I'd always be curious to hear about it. Thanks for the notes, comments and reviews- I LOVE YOU GUYS!_

Trouble felt bad. Which was strange, because she felt bad about a total stranger that was seriously messing up her schedule. Tom was nice, obviously didn't want to hurt them in any way, and she had been the queen of bitches to him. She thought about it all through dinner, and afterwards, she grabbed Rick in the hallway.

"Hey, you wanna change it up a little tonight?" She said and he tilted his head at her curiously.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Jules sleeps in Carl's room?" She asked. "Carol's right next door, and I'm back before she wakes up. Do you think she'd mind?"

"I know she won't. Want your bed back, huh?" He teased. "I knew Carl and I overstayed our welcome."

"You know better than that." She twisted the corner of her mouth up. "I want to go talk to Tom. I feel bad about how I acted, and I bet they're hungry."

"You mean when you pulled your gun on him and that kid?"

"No, that I meant." She said and he laughed loudly. "What? That red headed guy is annoying as hell."

He leaned against the wall, catching his breath. "I'll go with you."

"You sure? What if Carl or Jules wakes up?"

"I doubt your apology will take long." He said and she grinned.

"Ok, then. I'll go give Jules her bath. Get her ready."

"I'll pack some food." He said and she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "See you in a bit."

"I got you a present." Trouble said as she rinsed the girl's hair. She'd remembered she had the necklace she'd found still in her jeans pocket at dinner.

"What is it?" She asked excitedly. Trouble got her out of the bath and dried her off. When she got her dressed she reached in her pocket and pulled out the chain, dangling the angel for Jules to see. "Ohhh..." She breathed out, looking at it. "It's so pretty."

Trouble smiled and fastened it around her neck, lifting her damp hair over it. Jules looked down at it and held it up, staring at it with wide eyes. "Do you like it?" She asked and Jules nodded slowly. "I'm glad. Let's go brush your hair."

She took her to the bed and ran the brush gently through her hair, and Jules tilted her head to the side. "I like angels."

"So do I. I think you look like an angel."

"I love you, Amy." Jules said, looking back at her, and Trouble paused, her heart going to her throat. She cleared her throat and continued brushing.

"I love you, too, Jules." She said and felt tears go to her eyes. This is why she'd gotten so angry with Tom earlier. She was trying to protect Juliana with everything she had.

"Can I show Carl?" Jules asked and Trouble nodded.

"Yeah, sure. Do you want me to braid your hair?" She asked and Jules nodded. "That reminds me, you know those tv's on the wall in the room past the kitchen?" Jules nodded again and Trouble continued as she braided her hair. "Well, we take turns watching them, making sure nobody come close to us. It's my turn tonight so I have to stay awake, and Carl said you could come sleep in his room. But I'll be right there, upstairs the whole time, and Carol is going to be there too."

"Can we watch a movie?" She asked and Trouble nodded. "Ok."

She grinned at Jules, and tied her hair off at the bottom. "You're so brave. I'm really proud of you." She said, putting her hands on Jules' shoulders and looking around to see her.

"Can we go now?" Jules asked and Trouble held out her hand.

"Let's go."

Rick was programming the tv for the kids when they got there, and Jules ran to Carl, who was sitting on the bed. "Look what Amy got me!" She said excitedly, jumping up on the bed and holding out her necklace for Carl to see.

"It's pretty!" He said approvingly, and Rick hit play on the tv. Trouble went over and kissed both kids on the top of the head and said goodnight. Rick did the same and they backed out the door, hardly noticed by the chattering children. He left the door open and Trouble waved at Carol in her own room across the hall. They went to the elevator, talking quietly.

"That was a lot easier than I thought it would be. She might be ready for her own room soon." Trouble said, hitting the button.

Rick nodded. "Maybe."

She looked over at him and gave him a tense look. "She said she loved me."

He smiled. "Of course she did. I'm surprised she didn't say it earlier. How did it feel?"

She nodded, smiling, as she got into the elevator with him. "Good." He chuckled, and they emerged on the upper floor.

"I packed the food, it's ready to go." He said as they emerged in the common room and they cut across to the control room.

"Thanks. Where is everybody?" She asked, looking back at the empty common room.

"T's on monitors. I guess the others are in their rooms."

She nodded and bumped T as they passed him in the desk chair. "Watch it, woman." He said playfully.

"I had Sam take the furnace camera down and put the gap camera up, did he tell you?" She asked, grabbing her gun and putting it on her hip.

"Yup. Got it." He looked back at her and grinned.

"Perfect. I have my walkie, but remember, we're not the only ones who can hear it." She said, coming to stand behind him and look at the monitors. She could see a couple people from Tom's group in the monitor, but she couldn't tell who was who.

"I got this. Quit worrying." He said and she smiled, squeezing his shoulder and following Rick out of the room. He went into the kitchen and grabbed the bag, and she leaned down and grabbed a bottle of whiskey.

"It says I'm sorry way better than I can." She said, looking down at the bottle, then at him. "Just don't tell Dean."

"I'm no rat." He said and she grinned, following him to the elevator. They got up to the surface and she tossed him the keys to the gate as they got in the Jeep. He opened for them and locked it back, and she headed toward the barrier.

Tom walked out as they pulled up, and she wondered for a moment if he was ever not on point. She got out and met him in the road. "Hey."

"Hey, Trouble. Rick." He nodded to Rick beside the Jeep and Rick held up a hand, giving her a little space but staying close enough to react if he needed to.

"Hey Trouble!" A voice came from behind him and she leaned to the side and saw Mark and David sitting on the curb, waving at her. She flicked her wrist at them but turned her attention back to Tom.

"Look, I overreacted earlier." She said and he shook his head, stopping her.

"Don't worry about it. We fell into your lap here, it's gotta be weird." He said, friendly, and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Doesn't mean I have the right to be a bitch. You're just trying to survive." She said, looking back at Rick. "Anyway, we brought some more food." Rick stepped forward with the bag and Mark ran up to him, taking it and digging around in it before he took a step.

"Save some for the others, Mark." Tom said, and he grinned up at Trouble as he stuffed a sandwich in his mouth.

"Ok, I'm sorry, but he is really irritating." She said holding out her arm towards the guy.

Tom laughed. "Fair enough. How's Polly?"

"About the same. Maggie said her swelling is going down, but it's going to take a while before she can move."

"The others were so relieved to hear I'd seen her. Made everything a lot easier around here, so thanks."

"I didn't have much of a choice, the way she was going on. Can I ask, who is she to you?" Trouble tilted her head a little and he chuckled.

"An answer for an answer. Do we have a deal?" He said, and she was a little surprised by his boldness. She held all the cards, why would she have to do anything? Still, she shrugged and nodded.

"She's my sister. Adopted, but we grew up together. She and Sarah are best friends." Trouble raised her eyebrows and nodded her understanding and he put his hands on his hips. "Why did you get so mad today when I saw your daughter?"

"Because she didn't know anybody else was here. Scares her, and I don't want her worrying." She said, and bit her lip. "And she's not my daughter. Not my anything really, at least not before last week."

He looked surprised now. "Really? She looks just like you, and the way she ran to you."

"Sorry to disappoint you." She said, and he nodded.

"So, what happened? Did you find her?" He asked and she looked at him with a wary face.

"It's not my turn." She said and he grinned.

"Ok, sorry. Do you have a question?"

"Not right now." She said, and he laughed.

"You know, I think we have more in common than you realize."

"No offense, Tom. You know, I came out here to say I'm sorry, but I don't want this to turn into a bonding session."

"You started it." He said lightly and she chuckled.

"Good point. I'll have to watch that." She turned and walked back to the Jeep, reaching in back and grabbing the bottle of liquor. She walked back to him and held it out, and he took it with an appreciative nod. "Peace offering."

"We're all about the peace." He said, turning the bottle around in his hands and looking back up at her. "Thanks. You didn't have to."

"I know." She said, noticing Sarah coming out of the building and walking toward Tom slowly. "Looks like you got your hands full." She said, seeing Mark and David start towards them too. "We better go."

"Yeah, thanks again." He smiled.

"Have a good night. And if you see walkers, stay inside. They haven't come over the cars yet, but we'll keep watch anyway. And use the walkie for good measure." She said and Mark popped up behind him.

"Trouble, you want to stick around? We can crack this open." He said, grabbing the bottle from Tom. "Maybe talk a little." He raised his eyebrows at her and she narrowed her eyes at him, feeling Rick come up behind her.

"Go away, little man."

He stuck his lip out but grinned after a moment. He obviously was the try, try, try again type. Rick nudged her gently. "You ready?"

"Yeah." She said and they walked away. Tom and the group watched them drive off and Mark put his elbow up on Tom's shoulder, looking after her wistfully.

"I think I'm getting through to her. She didn't point her gun at me this time."


	44. Epiphany

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself. Anyway, it just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernatural's Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

"Do you feel better?" Rick asked her on the ride home.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I still really want to shoot that Mark guy." She said and looked over at him. He laughed at her and she grinned, stopping so he could open the gate. She watched him and she was hit by the most intense feeling of guilt. Pulling through the gate, she stopped and looked over toward the large tree Ian was buried under, and she leaned forward, resting on the steering wheel. She missed him so much it hurt, and she was pushing it away. Pushing the memory of him away. She was diving into taking care of Jules, and worse, she was laughing, finding moments of joy where she could. He wouldn't do that if it was her that was gone.

Rick got in the Jeep and looked at her. She was staring off toward the little graveyard, and she looked so sad that he put a hand on her shoulder. She snapped to and looked at him. "Sorry." She said and drove to the house.

"You don't have to apologize, you know." He said, following her into the lobby.

"Apologize?" She said, obviously distracted by her thoughts.

"For missing him." He said and she looked at the floor. When the elevator door opened she almost ran inside. "You don't have to run from it Trouble."

"I can't do this right now, Rick." Trouble said, her eyes on the ceiling.

"You have to do it sometime, or you're gonna go crazy. You cried, and it was good, but it's not over. I can tell it by looking at you." He said and she was out of the elevator before the doors had opened all the way. He let out a breath and watched her disappear into the hallway before he came into the room. He shouldn't have pushed her.

Trouble got to her room and shut the door, leaning against it and trying to catch her breath. Rick was right, it wasn't over. She went to the bed and laid down, running her hand over the side of the bed Ian would sleep on, and she could almost smell his cologne. See his sideways grin, feel his skin under her fingertips. She remembered all the times she'd heard him say he loved her. She'd said it back, but... She sat straight up in the bed and put her head in her hands. Oh god.

Rick stared at the wall. The last thing in the world he expected to see was Trouble walk in the room, but that's exactly what she did. He sat up and watched her as she paced back and forth in front of him.

"I _know_ it's not over, Rick. But with everything going on, I can't take time to stop and think about it, you know? I have this little girl all of sudden and she's looking at me to figure everything out, and all I know how to do is kill things, and electrify fences and fix water heaters." She was babbling, and Rick stood up and went to her, putting his hands on her shoulders, stopping her. She looked up at him. "I miss him, but that's not what's wrong. Well, it is, but it's only part of it."

"Talk to me, Trouble." He said, moving his hand up to her face, his eyes searching her.

"I loved him so damn much, but I wasn't_ in_ love with him. I didn't tell him I was, but I acted like it because he meant so much to me, you know? And now he's gone, and I feel so goddamn guilty."

"Trouble," He took her hands and brought her to the edge, sitting down next to her. "You can't feel guilty because your feelings weren't as deep as his. You gave him so much joy, and he died believing that you loved him. You couldn't have given him any more than that."

She took a deep breath and laughed, wiping away a tear bitterly. He frowned, watching her closely. "What?"

"But I _am_ in love." She said, and her voice sounded small. "With you."

He felt his whole body go limp. He looked at her with wide eyes, not knowing what to say. "Trouble..."

"I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." She said, standing. He stood up too and when she started to turn away, he grabbed her arms and turned her back to him.

"Trouble, I love you so much. I have been in love with you for so long." He said and her eyes grew wide as his. They filled with tears and he laughed, tearing up himself. He wiped them away and they reappeared instantly. "My god, I never thought you would ever feel that way about me." He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. She leaned back and her eyes went to his lips, then up to his eyes. He leaned in and kissed her, gently at first, but their need and passion were matched, equal, and it turned into the deepest, most erotic kiss he's ever had.

She put her legs around his waist as he picked her up, and she grabbed his coat, ripping it off him and throwing it to the floor. His shirts were next, one at a time landing in scattered heaps on the floor. They were by the bed when he sat her down, and they began to move slowly. He took her shirt over her head and ran his hands along her graceful shoulders and she reached up, letting her hair fall down around her face. He picked her up and laid her back on the bed, coming to kneel over her and kiss along her neck and down her chest, his long fingers finding the buttons on her pants and undoing them one at a time. He took hold of them and slid them down her legs, dropping them to the floor. He looked her in the eyes as he undid his own and they joined hers before he moved between her thighs to settle on top of her. Stroking her face lovingly, he leaned forward and kissed her gently, his patience a testament to the kind of lover he would be. He was hard, and big, she had seen that when he was standing, but he didn't rush it. They kissed and touched, learning each others faces like they had never seen them before, his rough and kind hands running over every inch of her body.

When he thought she was ready he shifted and she felt him between her legs. He ran a hand up her thigh and pushed it back slowly, going to her entrance. He held her leg firmly as he pushed forward and she gasped as she took him in, throwing her head back in pain and esctasy. He pushed to his full length and paused.

"I love you so much..." He whispered in her ear as she felt the first shocks go through her body and she tightened around him, making him groan against her neck. After a minute he began to move again and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He hovered over her as he thrust slowly, his face heavy but peaceful, and she put her hand on his cheek, her thumb rubbing the rough unshaven skin, and her hips coming up to meet him as far as she could go. They moved together in a slow rythmic dance, and he felt his walls starting to come down. He brought her to the edge and stopped, letting it subside, then repeating until she was calling his name over and over, her lips against his firm chest, his hands tangled in her hair.

He finally didn't stop at the edge and allowed her to fall over, and he watched her climax, her face agonizingly beautiful in the dim light. He followed as her orgasm started to ebb, and he buried his face in her chest, his hands holding her tightly. He shuddered and she held him back just as tightly, feeling him explode inside of her like a volcano. It had been a while for him, she knew, and it felt wonderful, warm and loving. He calmed and lay breathing on her chest for a while before leaning back and looking down at her, rubbing her hair back from her face and neck. He had a sheen of sweat on his brow and he licked his lips, biting his lower one as he pulled out from her and she gasped. He moved up next to her on the pillows and pulled her onto his chest, holding her hand on his chest and rubbing her back with a rough, calloused palm.

"Rick?" She whispered, not wanting to break the beautiful silence, but he just ran his hand down her face. He already knew what she was thinking.

"I'll talk to him. Don't worry about Shane." He said calmly, and she believed him. For the first time so long, she actually thought things might be alright.

They fell asleep together, wrapped in each others arms, the constant stream of thoughts finally silencing for a few brief hours. Before the sun rose they got up, dressed each other and parted to get ready to face the day. She felt good getting out of the shower, and looked at her reflection in the mirror through the steam in the air. She grinned and brushed her teeth, twisting her hair up into a ponytail on the back of her head, She pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans and a gray tank top, and went into the hallway. She smiled even wider when she saw Rick there, leaning up against the wall, waiting for her.

They went downstairs and got the kids, and Trouble split from him long enough to get Jules dressed. She picked out a purple shirt and jeans, and Jules asked for a ponytail like Trouble wore. They made it to the kitchen and Trouble ate better than she had in weeks. Dean laughed at her when she went back for seconds, but she didn't care. Carol swept Carl and Jules away for their lessons, and soon she was driving across the field toward the gate, Rick in her passenger seat and the wind in her hair.

"Hey." She said, looking over him as they pulled away from the gate. "I don't want to fuck this up, but would you be mad if I asked if we could have a couple days to ourselves before we start having life changing conversations with the people we live with?"

"No." He said easily and she let out a relieved breath.

"I appreciate it. We're all stretched a little far here. And it's not helping that I have to keep reminding myself to make sure my gun is on safety when I'm near that red head moron out here."

"You want me to stay with you?" He offered.

"I don't need protecting, Rick. He does." She said and he grinned, looking out at the street she had just turned on. "Before we go in I want to run through both sections of buildings. Practice run."

"I think we should." He said, looking over at her. "And I think Tom should get a gun back."

She looked surprised. "You do?"

"Yeah. He seems stable enough. If walkers or survivors come by we'll get here fast, but he's front line." He said as she pulled up to the buildings they had been working on the day before. She bit her lip and sat there a minute, then she reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a revolver and handed it to him, looking him in the eyes.

"If you decide to do it, I'll back you."

He wanted to kiss her so badly. But he smiled instead and stashed the gun in the back of his waistband. She met him around the front of the Jeep, and Shane, Sam, and Dean got out of the other car, walking around the the back door of the buildings they had secured. "I'm going to grab those shades from the apartment. I'll bring them to you in a minute."

He nodded, and Tom approached them. "I'll see you in a bit." Rick said and left, and she nodded to Tom as she reached in the back of the Jeep and grabbed her bow.

"How was your night?" She asked, putting her quiver over her shoulder and walking toward Tom.

"Mark and Harmon had a ball with the bottle you brought. I'm sure they would thank you, but I don't think they've woken up yet. Otherwise, it was blessedly uneventful."

She chuckled and walked past him toward the first building, her eyes on the road past the barrier. He followed close behind. "You didn't get to have any?" She asked as she walked.

"Not much of a drinker myself." He said and she went in the open front door of the office and jogged lightly up the stairs. "Are you guys starting on this side next?"

"No. I left something behind." She said, going for the front room and grabbing the shades Rick had rolled up and sat down. She turned around and saw Tom looking around the room. "Where were you a cop?"

His attention had been grabbed, and he got that twinkle in his eye again. He was a handsome guy, but he looked a little tired even if he was cheerful on an annoyingly daily basis. "The question game again, huh? Ok, I'll bite. I was a State Trooper in Iowa." He leaned his head to the side and crossed his arms over his chest. "You seemed different last night. What changed?"

"I realized I was being unduly bitchy, I already told you. Hope you don't start wasting your questions now, man."

"Fine, I want a do over."

"Nope. Why haven't two of your group come out to meet us yet? I get Sarah, but Harmon and David are making my people nervous." It was a lie, of course. They were making her nervous.

"Mark is making an ass of himself because he thinks you're beautiful. Harmon is staying away for the same reason. David is worried about Polly, and he has a touch of an anti-social nature."

She chuckled and nodded appreciatively at his clever answer. holding up the shades she held. "Good to know. The guys need these. It's been real." She said and walked away quickly and he jogged to catch up.

"Wait, that's it?"

"What's 'it'?" She retorted, jogging down the stairs and into the sunlight outside.

He caught up with her on the street, pacing her steps with his broad strides. "You guys appear and vanish like ghosts, and that place you live is amazing. It's like the apocalypse never happened there."

She looked at him through her sunglasses. "It happened. Believe me." She looked out at the street and slowed down in time to see a single walker stumble out from behind a car. She held the shades out toward him. "Hold this." He took them and she strung her bow, centering her stance and fired. The walker dropped and she took the shades back and continued walking.

"That's another thing. I've never seen anybody shoot like that. I just want to know who you people are."

"Hold that thought." She said lightly and pushed her sunglasses back on her head as she entered the dimness of the buildings. She could hear steps upstairs and she didn't have to look back to know Tom was following her as she got to the stairs and went up. "Got 'em." She announced, getting to the top.

"Got what?" Dean turned to look at her from his spot hammering in a door over a window.

She held up the shades she had retrieved and tossed them to Rick, who had poked his head through the door, catching them. Trouble walked past Tom and went back outside. He found her on the street below, pacing slightly and watching the road.

"What is that dude doing?" Dean asked exasperatedly, looking out onto the street and watching Tom trying to talk to Trouble. Again.

"You're surprised a guy is following her around?" Sam said, finishing his own hammering and stepping back.

"I'm gonna shove this crowbar-"

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother. "Dude, she can take care of herself. Let it go."

Dean shot one last look out the window but did as Sam said and stepped away to finish boarding the lower floors, Rick and Shane right behind him.

"You still owe me one question." Tom said, slowing to a stop beside her and she looked over at him.

"You just asked a ton of them. How am I supposed to pick one?"

"Allow me, then. Why do you stay so distant? Why have to pry even the tiniest thing out of you?" He crossed his arms again and she looked back at the road.

"Because the last people to come here tried to kill us, and they succeeded. Getting close not really an option at the moment." She said, tired of the game.

"They killed a friend of yours." He said and she nodded slightly. "I'm sorry, I really am. I lost friends out here too, but we're not going to do that."

"I don't think you will. But you'll understand if we're a little skittish." She looked over and saw the guys coming out from around the building. "I'll be back."

"Can I come?"

"Not this time, Tom." She said and jogged to meet the others. "Practice run?"

"Yeah, might as well." Sam said.

"Then somebody needs to stay outside." She said. "Try to get in."

"Why don't we put them to work?" Shane said, stopping and looking at Tom walking back to David and Sarah at the curb. "Big guy looks like he needs something to keep him busy, besides bugging the hell out of Trouble."

Dean grinned. "I like it. Hey Tom?" He called out and Tom turned and jogged back to them.

"You guys change your mind? Need some help?" He asked and Shane shifted, his hands going to his hips.

"Yeah, we do."


	45. Practice Run

___Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself._

___This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

___Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

___And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

"Ok, get ready." Sam said, and Trouble looked around her group, standing in the woods, ready to rush the first set of buildings. "You all know your positions?" A round of yes went around and he grinned. "Go!" He shouted, loud enough for Tom's group to hear at the opposite side of the buildings. They took off, running into the back door, and Dean slammed it shut behind them, locking it. Trouble was after Shane, and she ran after him through the holes they had opened between the buildings. Shane stopped at the third building, going off up the stairs and she continued on to the second, veering off the the stairs there as Sam passed her, going for building one.

"Are you in positions?" Sam yelled and they shouted their yes's. She was at the window overlooking the street below, like the rest of them in their respective buildings. She could see Mark and David on the street below her and hear bangs coming from below as others tried to get in. "Make sure your safety is on! And aim! Fire!" Came Sam's order and she heard Mark outside.

"Yes, please make sure the safety is on. Thank you." She rolled her eyes and heard Rick.

"Sarah!" He shouted and she put her hands up and stood in the middle of the road.

"Mark!" Dean shouted and Mark did as Sarah had done, hands up and stopping. The motion meant that they had been hit, they were dead.

"David!" Sam shouted.

Trouble couldn't see Harmon or Tom, but she could hear them banging on building 3. She turned and ran down the stairs, going to the window and putting her back to the wall beside it, darting forward to see Tom on the other side, his hand through the space in the boards.

"Bang." He said, grinning.

"Fuck me." She said, leaning back against the wall. She took and deep breath and banged her head angrily against the drywall. "I'm dead!" She called out and she heard feet clamping down the stairs to her left, and Sam appeared at the hole in the wall.

"You're kidding me." He said, a shocked look on his face. "You?"

"You can stand there and stare at me, or we can do it again and get it right." She said dryly and marched off through the hole to the beginning, the others trailing slowly after and Sam shouted for Tom to reset his people.

"What happened?" Dean was laughing and she shot him a dirty glare as they got outside. She took a deep breath and got back into position.

They ran through the drill two more times before they were satisfied. Dean got mock killed on the third, so he quit laughing. She got Tom on the final, successful try, and he grinned as he raised his arms and stood in the street.

"Heading down to the other side, people. Get as many people in the cars as possible." Sam called out as they came out of the building.

"Car, you mean." She said loudly, and Sam and the others looked back at her. "I gotta get back to the house. Jules is going to be finishing up soon."

"So is Carl." Rick said, and Sam nodded.

"There's only three buildings. We can do it without you." Sam said.

"Be careful." She called back as she and Rick headed to the Jeep. Shane was passing and she gestured for him to come to the car.

"What's up?" He asked as she hopped up in the Jeep.

She looked at him, then at Rick, who had gotten into the car too. "They're really trying to help us out here, and Maggie said this morning that Polly is getting antsy pretty bad. Why don't we bring them back for a few hours after you're done so they can see her. Have a beer. What do you think?"

Shane frowned and looked at Rick. "What do you think?"

"All of us there, they won't be a threat. Lock the control room, keep the kids busy, I don't see a problem."

"What if they get a load of what we got in there and don't want to leave?" Shane asked.

Trouble grinned. "I don't think they'll have much of a choice, do you? Let them relax a little, and we drive them back out."

Shane shrugged. "I guess."

"Listen, Dean isn't going to be easy to convince, so work on him for me, will ya?" Trouble said and he smirked a little.

"That's just what I wanted to do today." He quipped and walked away. She grinned and pulled the Jeep around on the road and started back. He did the gate quickly for her and they got inside the elevator in the lobby when she looked over at him, raising an eyebrow flirtatiously. He grinned and they quietly got downstairs, passing the empty common room and going to the control room.

"Carl and Jules still with Carol?" She asked Glen as she put her bow away.

"Yeah, I haven't seen them so I guess."

"Thanks." She said and she and Rick walked to her room, and she shut the door behind them, his hands already on her when she locked the door. She turned and he kissed her passionately, her fingers on the buttons of his shirt, moving swiftly. She ran her hands over his strong shoulders, pushing it off and to the floor. He picked her up, his lips still on hers, his tongue dancing around hers, twisting and darting forward in her mouth.

He put her on the bed and whipped her shirt off over her head, her bra soon following, and his kissed down her body, taking a rosy nipple in his mouth, feeling her arch against him. He had been hard since she'd looked at him in the elevator, and he quickly unbuttoned his jeans and slid them off before helping her with hers. He removed her panties with them in one swift movement and when he moved back up she took him in her hand and stroked him gently but firmly. He groaned against her lips, his eyes closing, and she kept him there, bringing him to the edge the way he had done with her.

When he was sufficiently delirious with pleasure she grabbed him and pushed him back on the bed, getting on top and looking down at him with a mischievously sweet grin. She lowered herself on him and he threw his head back, taking a deep breath before meeting her eyes again. She pumped him slowly, and he ran his hands over her neck and chest, his breath becoming hard and fast as he neared the edge again. She was so tight and wet around him he couldn't form a complete thought. She saw the release begin on his face and she slowed. He made a low growl in his throat and sat up, spinning her around so they switched places and he thrust hard, his control long ago gone. She looked up into his deep, lusty blue eyes and she felt the waves hit her hard. He pushed him mouth down on hers, stifling her cries with his tongue.

"God..." He moaned and followed her into oblivion. He saw color behind his eyelids as he pumped hot and full inside her, their mouths meeting again as reality gradually came back into focus. He found himself on his back beside her, and realized he'd been so gone he didn't remember moving. They gasped for air, and she looked over at him and grinned.

"Wow." She breathed out and he turned on his side, running his hand over her flat stomach, looking at her perfect body. He kissed the spots where his fingers had touched, and she looked down at him, a calm, peaceful expression. "We have to go get the kids." She said softly, and he paused, sitting up and looking at her happily. "What?"

"We have to go get the kids." He repeated and she looked at him curiously. "It just sounded nice. We have to go get the kids. Sounds... normal."

She chuckled. "It's different, that's for sure." She got up and pulled her jeans back on quickly. She looked back at him and shrugged. "But... I like it."

He grinned and got dressed too, and he leaned down and kissed her deeply one last time before they went downstairs for the kids.


	46. Of course they are

_Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself. Anyway, it just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernatural's Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

_This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

_And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

_I want to thank those of you that have taken the time to review and send me messages! I'm only saying this now because I posted this story all at once- quite a feat considering how long it's been so far. I deeply apologize for the grammatical errors and various mistakes- you have no idea how hard it was to break this us, save and upload it all each chapter at a time from the crazy mess I wrote it in. Probably why it's taken me so long to update, it was a complete nightmare, but knowing you guys love the story as much as I do makes me want to continue. At this point, I always welcome suggestions- this is going on a very long trek, this story, so if there's a place you want to see it end up, I'd always be curious to hear about it. Thanks for the notes, comments and reviews- I LOVE YOU GUYS!_

"Hi Amy." Jules looked pleased when she saw Trouble in the door. Rick was checking on Polly, and she came in and kissed the children's heads.

"How was school?" She asked, and Carol began gathering the books and papers.

"They both did very well. I am so pleased Juliana has taken to it so quickly. I just wish we had better books, I don't know how far I'm going to get with as much progress as they're both making."

"We'll figure it out." Trouble said, looking down at Jules at her side. She bit her lip and gestured for Carol to step aside with her. Rick was just getting to it, and she went to his side and spoke softly. "I know it's short notice, but we're bringing in the people from the road in a little while."

"They're coming here?" Carol asked, her eyes worried. "All of them?"

"Just for a couple hours. We're going to let them see Polly, but they're not staying." Carol looked relieved, and she let out a soft sigh. "Anyway, I know I've been calling on you a lot lately, but-"

Carol put up a hand and stopped her. "Trouble, you and the others are working so hard to keep us safe here, taking the children is the least I can do. I love being with them, it's no bother."

Trouble smiled gratefully at her. "So, you can keep the kids kind of contained for a while? The girl is right next door, so it might be a little difficult."

"I'll take care of it, don't worry."

"Thanks. I'll get Jules ready for tonight, get her bath and stuff done. The others should be another hour or two."

"Ok, I'll finish up here and get to making dinner." Carol smiled.

"Thanks, Carol." Rick said and called for the kids. They rushed the two of them at the door, and Jules chatted happily all the way back to Trouble's room.

Trouble gave her a bath, promising Carol had fun plans for them that night, and by the time she got her dressed, Jules was itching to get the evening started. Trouble talked her into dinner first and they met Rick and Carl in the kitchen. Maggie came in and got dinner for herself, Hershel and Polly and took it back downstairs. Carol had made mac and cheese and veggies, and they ate quickly, not sure how long it was going to take the others outside. They were almost done when the walkie at Trouble's hip blared with Dean's voice and she left the kitchen quickly to answer it.

"Dean. I'm here." She said when she ducked into the laundry room and pushed the door almost closed.

"We're finished up here, headin' back." He said, sounding a little annoyed, and she knew Shane had kept his word. He'd talked to Dean about bringing the others back.

"And..." She led him.

"And, we're bringing company. Happy?"

"See you soon." She said, not continuing the subject, knowing Tom was listening. She pressed her lips together and went back to the kitchen. She gave Carol a look and she got the kids together quickly. Trouble kissed Jules' head and smiled, watching her follow Carl down the hall. She and Rick gathered the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, waiting for the others to arrive.

Dean led the group resentfully, and their stunned expressions not a surprise. She nodded to Tom, who had Sarah surgically attached to his side, the typical terrified look on her face. Trouble was beginning to think it was the only look the girl knew. Dean came to her and leaned in, speaking low while they took the room in, talking amongst themselves.

"You run through the rules?" She asked and he nodded.

"This room only, if they leave they stay with one of us. Why did you want to do this?" Dean asked, looking at her grimly.

Rick saved her. "We were all out there at one point. It seems like a decent thing to do."

"We're saving their asses here, we don't owe 'em this. But since you all seem to be on board here I'm goin along with it. You-" He looked at Trouble pointedly. "You so owe me." She grinned and nodded and he bumped her forehead affectionately with his before following Shane and Sam back to the control room.

Trouble turned back to the new group, and Tom took a step forward. "I just want to make it clear, none of you leave this room unless one of us take you." She said, and he nodded.

"They got it." He assured her. "Don't you?" he looked back and they nodded. Mark grinned, coming up next to him.

"This is sweet, Trouble." He excitedly, and she looked at him briefly, shaking her head exasperatedly. She looked back at Tom. "I'll take three of you down to Polly. Rick and Dean will stay here with the others. Who's going?"

"I went, so Robert, Sarah and Harmon can go." He said and they stepped forward.

"Fine. Let's go." She said, looking back at Rick. "I'll be back in a minute. I'll have T-Dog bring them back."

He nodded, and she walked away, the three of them following her closely. They got to the elevator at the end of the hall and she looked back at their faces. They were nervous but intrigued by the surroundings, and she ushered them into the elevator quickly. She caught Harmon's looking at her for a moment, but he went a little red, his eyes becoming permanently glued to the ground. She'd never taken the time to really look at the guy, and she noticed he had unusually large brown eyes, expressive and soft, like a hound dog. His face was wide but good looking, and he stood only an inch or two away from her own height. She wondered how old her was, how he could still manage to look innocent with everything that happened.

They stayed silent like she had told them, but when she pushed Polly's door open Sarah ran to her, Robert and Harmon going to the foot of her bed. Polly was excited and began chattering with Sarah, and Maggie stepped back and away, going to Trouble at the door.

"I'm going to grab T-Dog, Maggie. He's going to stay with you while they're here, ok?" Trouble said and Maggie stood in the door as Trouble stepped away and knocked on T's door lightly. She poked her head in when he called out.

"Hey, T." She grinned, her hand absently going up to the quarter around her neck. "How was the run through?"

He was pulling on a clean shirt and grinned when he saw her. "Good, looks like it's secure enough."

"Great. I know you're probably tired, but you wanna stay with Maggie while Polly's visiting with her people for me?"

"Gotta keep an eye on the ginger, huh? He was all over the place when we told them they were coming in. Little freak, that guy." He laughed softly and put his gun back on his waist.

"Something like that. Thanks, T." She said, leading him out into the hallway.

"No problem. Save me a beer, though. I need one. Or ten." He said and she laughed, leaving him with Maggie at the door and going back to the elevator quickly.

Rick had gotten the food out and put it on the coffee table, and Mark and Robert were digging in when she got back to the common room. Sarah was on the couch taking small bites from a french fry and watching Tom talking to Sam and Rick by the elevator. Shane and Dean had grabbed drinks and were sitting in the chairs on either side, looking worn out. She walked to Dean's chair and sat on the arm. He rolled his head toward her and held out his glass of scotch and she took it, taking a drink. Mark, of course, had all his attention on her, and he grinned widely.

"You got lights, beer. Man, this place is great." He said happily, his pale green eyes wide and excited. She was going to hand the glass back to Dean, but when Mark started talking she drained the glass and Dean chuckled, pulling the bottle up from the floor and poured another for her.

Davis looked up at her and swallowed his food. "Is it just you guys here, and that doctor and woman who took Polly?"

"No. We've got more, they're working, but they're around." She answered and he nodded, thoughtfully.

"How many?"

"More." She answered flatly and he sat back on the couch.

This was fast becoming awkward. She looked over at Shane and he gave her a patient glance as he got up and going to the kitchen. She followed and he handed her a beer when they got to the fridge.

"Not regretting your decision, are ya?" He asked, cracking his own beer open. She grinned and downed half of hers in a single drink.

She shook her head. "If it shuts Polly up it's worth it. I think she's driving Hershel and Maggie nuts. But I'm not doing this again for a while."

"I'm with ya there. But we should get back out there." He was clearly amused and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Right. I'm gonna get Glen, but turn on the music or something. Do what you have to do to drown Mark out." She said and he grinned and went back to the common room, and she walked in the opposite direction. "Hey Glen. You don't have to stay in here. You can come meet them, or go down with Maggie if you want." She said, leaning in the door. He turned the alarm on and left after her.

Tom saw her come back in with Glen and he left Rick and Sam and came over. He stuck his hand out to Glen, who took it politely. "Hey, man. I'm Tom."

"Glen. Resident cameraman." Glen grinned and Tom chuckled.

"Good to put a face to the guy who calls for backup if we need it. ."

"I do what I can." He said. "I'm gonna go see Maggie." Glen said to Trouble and she nodded, watching him walk off.

"It was good of you to let the others come back. Polly'll be happy." Tom said when he'd gone.

"Yeah, well, thanks for the help out there today. It's important those buildings are safe when we need them." She said, taking the last drink of her beer. "You want a drink?"

"A beer would be good." He said and she turned around and went back to the kitchen. He followed and looked around the room as she got a beer for him. "Man, Sarah would love this. She's missing our house, having our own kitchen."

"She cooks?" Trouble asked, handing him the bottle.

"She's a great cook. Worked in a restaurant." He said, leaning back against the counter. "So, you and Dean, huh? I saw you two out there, you looked close."

She laughed, swallowing her beer. "He's my cousin. So yeah, we're kinda close."

He grinned. "Gotcha. That should make Mark happy."

"Why don't you just do me a favor and let him keep thinking whatever he's thinking, ok?" She said and he laughed, and she passed him, going for the door when the alarm went off. "What the fuck now?" She blurted and left Tom at the door as she ran down the hallway to the control room. Rick and Sam were right behind her, finding her at the monitors when they got to the room.

A deer had wandered onto the property, and she let out a deep breath, and started to smile at them when she noticed the walkers coming after it. "Shit." She breathed and they whipped around her to look.

"They're coming over the barrier." Sam said and she closed her eyes. God damn it. They followed the deer over, and there were at least a dozen of them.

"We gotta get out there." She said, going to the back wall and getting a couple rifles, tossing them to Rick. Tom had come to the door, following them, and though he was obviously impressed by the stocked room, he kept his attention on her.

"I can help." He said and she looked back at him, frowning. She didn't say anything, but she walked toward him and put a loaded rifle in his hands. He took it and nodded at her, a silent thank you for trusting him.

"Don't rush out there, getting yourselves killed. They're distracted, they won't know we're here." She said as Dean and Shane rushed in. "Dean, keep the others here, Shane, Rick, Tom, you're with me. Sam, you got monitors."

She didn't wait for them to agree, she took off for the elevator and Shane, Rick, and Tom followed her. The rest of Tom's group had come back to the common room and he gave them a look that said stay put while he was gone. The got to the gate upstairs and back out into the deepening sunset shaded light. She got into Dean's SUV, it was the only one that would hold all of them. Rick got the gate, and Shane drove them out to the road. They stopped at the treeline and got out quietly, running through the trees and into the back of the building they had secured. Running as they had practiced, Trouble was behind Rick and Shane, and she stopped at the third building as they continued, running upstairs. Tom had followed, not having followed them in before, and she found him at her side when she got to the window and put the muzzle of her rifle through the space they had created for shooting.

The walkers had swarmed the deer in the middle of the road, and she narrowed her eyes in the growing darkness. "I can't see a goddamn thing." She hissed and adjusted the sight on her rifle. She heard shots fire from the next buildings and she pulled the trigger, dropping a skinny walker that was missing an arm.

"Coulda fooled me." Tom said quietly and fired himself. She saw another walker fall and they fell into silence as their shots blended with Rick and Shane's. The last walker fell and she removed her gun from the slot in the boards and leaned against them, shaking her head. "What's wrong?" Tom asked softly, stepping closer to her. She could see his pale blond hair glowing a little in the moonlight, his jovial hazel eyes sparkling in the darkness. He really was tall, she realized as she stood right next to him. About Shane's height, those same broad shoulders. But where Shane could look threatening and dangerous with very little effort, this guy had permanent smile lines, and an all american look to him with his high cheekbones and wide mouth.

"They've not crossed the barrier before." She said grimly, and he raised his eyebrows.

"Maybe they didn't have anything to chase before."

"Well, now they do. We have to stay, see if more come." She said, and he looked down on her concerned face in the slats of moonlight coming through the boards. She took a deep breath and looked back at him. "Stay here, keep watch."

She silently moved away, tapping down the stairs lightly and he turned back to the street below.

"Shane?" She whispered, going back up the stairs in the next building. "Rick?" She moved with touch, and when a pair of hands grabbed her, she jumped but quickly recognized them as Shane's. "You scared me, you jerk." She said, swiping at him.

She felt him chuckle, and he moved his arm around to bring her close. "Are we going?"

"No, we have to see if any come because of the shots."

"If they do it's gonna turn into a cycle, right?." He said and she looked at his shadowy face.

"Then you better get comfy, we'll be here a while." She said, her hand on his arm.

"Oh man..." He said and she laughed softly.

"Don't be a baby. I'm right next door."

"Be safe. Tom's over there with you?" He asked, his hand going firmer on her waist.

"Yeah, I'm perfectly safe. Don't worry." She scratched his arm lightly, reassuring him, and turned around, feeling her way down the stairs and to Rick.

"Hey." He whispered when he felt her come up the stairs. She moved to him by the window and stepped chest to chest with him.

"Anything else coming?"

"I can hear something, but I'm waiting for it to show itself."

"Ok. We need to make sure nothing else comes, or we're gonna end up right back here. Be safe, I'll be in the other building."

He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling it to his chest. He leaned down and kissed her lips, and nuzzled her cheek with his nose. "Be safe, Trouble." She smiled, squeezed his hand, and quietly left the room. She made her way down the stairs and back through the buildings, stepping over things left on the floors. She got to the top of the stairs and could see Tom in the window, turn around and face her.

"They see anything else?" He started to ask when she tripped on a rolling obstacle in the floor and fell forward. He caught her in his hands, helping her regain her balance. He accidentally pushed against her side harder then she was used to, right against the mostly healed but occasionally tender wound. She hissed and put her hand up quickly, backing up.

"Are you hurt?" He asked quickly, concerned.

"It's mostly gone, I just stressed it a little." She whispered, cursing the crap left all over the place.

"What happened?"

"Got shot. And I'm only telling you that so you can quit wondering why I don't like strangers."

She stepped up beside him, peering out the window. Suddenly, she made a hell of a lot more sense to him. "Rick said he heard something." She said just as gunfire erupted again. She and Tom aimed out the window and saw a couple more walker trickling in from the direction of the barrier, and they fired quickly and efficiently, dropping them. It fell silent again and she groaned softly, letting her head fall forward and hit the boards.

"We're gonna be here all night." She whispered, and he turned around and leaned against the boarded up window, putting the butt of his rifle on the ground.

"I can't say I'm unhappy that they picked a night we weren't out there."

"Bright side, huh? You're really one of those annoying, glass half full kinda people, aren't you?"

"Gotta be. Go crazy otherwise."

"Then consider me stark raving mad." She said, and he saw the whites of her eyes flash in the light. He chuckled.

"Why'd you give me a gun? What changed?"

"Did you happen to notice the influx of walking dead? I thought you'd be useful. Besides, Rick was making a case for you, thought at least you should be armed."

"Especially since what you've been through, I'm going to take that as a compliment."

She looked over at him, hearing the smile in his voice. "Whatever floats your boat."

He looked over his shoulder at the bodies on the ground. "We're going to have to pick those up soon."

"That's generally the process." She said softly. "We'll do it at first light. You're not going to be able to go back out there tonight."

"Where will we stay?"

"I don't know. I don't want Juliana to see all of you. She's come so far, this might set her back in a huge way."

"I don't want that either." He sighed, looking down at her as she looked out at the street. She was a sad girl, carrying too much for someone her age. He'd seen it as a cop, far too often. "How old are you?"

"It doesn't much matter, but I'm 21." She said flatly, and he saw she'd shut back down again. Call it a character flaw, but since he'd met her he'd been convinced he'd get her to open up. He frowned and looked back out at the street. She'd talked more right there at that window since he'd met her, and she'd armed him, letting his people into her safety zone proved she didn't view them as much of a threat. He was getting through to her, it was just going to take a while. And, he had realized very quickly, get through to her- you get through to them all.

Rick came up the stairs and they looked back at him. "I don't hear anything else. Let's go back in."

She went down the stairs after him and Tom followed, Shane bringing up the rear. They got back to the SUV and she stared out the window, the wind blowing her ponytail around her face as Shane drove back. Her head hurt, this was not what she wanted, being stuck with these people in her home. How the hell was this going to work?


	47. Consequences

___Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself. Anyway, it just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernatural's Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles..._

___This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!_

___And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!_

+++_So crazy for me to actually update this story, for those of you who have stuck around- I truly appreciate it. But I have to say, this chapter is dedicated to ChainSmoker, who gave me the mental kick to get started again. Anyone who read this long story twice and kept writing me to update deserves a lot more than this, but it's a start. ChainSmoker- thanks for the inspiration. This really wouldn't have come out if not for you! I just hope you like it. _

It had actually been relatively easy to corral all of Tom's group into the workout room for the night. Most of them were tipsy from the alcohol, and combined with the first night in a truly safe place, it was enough to send them all into a deep sleep right away. Trouble shut the door behind her when she got them settled in, making sure to inform them that if they left that room before someone came and got them she'd thrash them, and went back up to the living room quickly. She knew Dean was up there practically vibrating with nerves.

"It's going to be fine, Dean. Trust me." She said before he could speak. The others had gathered with her cousin, and looked to her when she came in.

"You don't know that. I thought we said this wasn't going to happen."

"I know. And I know how you feel. It's kind of freaking me out too, I really need you now. Please, just help me, ok?" She spoke wearily, and he sighed.

"Alright, alright. I got you, don't freak out. We'll deal with it."

Rick nodded. "We will. We're in this together, and they're not psychotic. We're gonna be fine."

Shane even seemed to agree, they all recognized how tired and worried Trouble was. "Why don't ya'll go get some sleep. I got watch tonight."

"Jules and Carl... I need to talk to them." She stretched her arms out behind her and yawned. "I can't let them just wake up and walk into this."

"I got it. Go get some sleep." Rick said quickly. "There's a chair in that room, I'll sleep in it so they find me when they wake up."

"You sure? You and Shane have got to be tired." She frowned.

"I'm sure. Go." He said, and Shane nodded behind him. She gave them both a grateful smile, and Sam looped an arm around her shoulders.

"Come on." He said, and she allowed him to pull her away.

"Thanks guys. Goodnight. Come get me if anything happens."

Sam and Dean walked with her back to the back hallway and Dean gave her a begrudging smile. "I'm going with this, Trouble. Don't worry about me."

"Thanks. Love you."

He kissed her cheek. "I only worry _because_ I love you. And Jules now, you know. She's a special kid. I don't want this to affect her."

"Neither do I."

"We'll rally around. It won't be so bad." Sam said quickly. They parted and Trouble let herself into her room. Her mind was turning a million miles a minute, but as soon as she'd stripped and climbed into bed, she was asleep before she knew it.

Rick looked out at the monitors and took a deep breath anxiously. If more walkers came through it was going to take forever to clear the town back out.

"Do we really need to, though?" Shane said, and he looked over at him curiously. "Go back out there, I mean? Tonight, or even tomorrow. The buildings can't be gotten into, they'd stay on the street. Wouldn't be that hard to clear out and is it that important, really? They can't get in here."

"How'd you know what I was thinking?" Rick asked, a little amused.

"How long have I known you, man?" Shane chuckled. "Speakin' of which, I gotta know why you were so gung ho on havin' those folks in here. Seems a little like you talked Trouble into it."

"I don't think I had to." Rick disagreed and Shane gave him a pointed look, leaning back in the desk chair and putting his hands on his head.

"The hell you didn't. Since she got shot she's been skittish about anybody new."

"Shane, you saw what it was like when you brought us in here. It's the same situation."

"Yeah, well, that was you. And Lori and Carl. 'Course I brought you in, but those people ain't you. They don't have kids, we don't know 'em."

"Polly was hurt. If we hadn't brought them in, she'd probably have gotten them killed. You saw how Trouble acted when that hiker got killed in the town, can you imagine what she'd feel like if all of Tom's people ended up that way? She'd never forgive herself."

"Maybe. 'Course, it's just as safe on the grounds as it is in here, yet here they are."

"I thought you agreed with us that they should come in here. That's what you said to Trouble. We'd 'handle it'. Right?" Rick looked at him critically. He was much too tired for this line of questioning.

"Man, she's trying to balance everything right now! She's exhausted. I'd have said I'd kill every last walker out there if that's what she needed to hear, but I think Dean's right. We've done what we needed to do for 'em, now they're just gonna use up what little we got left and then what do we do?"

"I don't know. But we've been through tougher times than this, we're gonna be fine. And they'll help. Got plans for a garden, more people to watch out for, backup if we need it. And they haven't done anything to make us not trust them. Done everything we've asked them to do, and I wouldn't have given up my weapon if somebody told me to. But they trusted us."

Shane bit his cheek, watching Rick closely. "I know you, Rick. And I think there's more to this than you're tellin me."

Rick's heart jumped a little in his chest. He knew that look, it was the one Shane gave him when he knew he wasn't being totally honest. "I don't know what you mean."

"Yeah, you do, man. Just be up front with me, man. You never got over her, did you? I saw the way you used to look at her, and I thought it was done when she shot you down, but it ain't over, is it?"

"This really what you wanna do tonight? Now?"

"Why the hell not? Gotta get it out sometime. Since Jules came here you've been spending every waking minute with Trouble. I thought it was because you wanted to give her a lead on how to handle the kid but I don't think that's it anymore."

"Shane, this isn't the time-"

Shane cut him off. He was really getting going now, sitting forward and eyeing Rick challengingly. "What I can't figure out is why you'd still be pushing this when you know how I feel about her. What are you wanting her to do, jump into your bed, Rick? She's not interested."

Now it was Rick who was getting angry. Who the hell was Shane to be talking to him like this? "I said the same thing to you about Lori, didn't I?"

Shane's eyes widened, then narrowed. He was pissed off, truly. "You're getting' back at me for Lori, man? That it? You wanna hurt me like you got hurt? Lori chased me, man. That's what pissed you off."

Rick balled up his fists and jerked. "You got no right talkin to me like this after what you did. And no, I don't need to chase Trouble. We've got something between us you never had."

"In your dreams, man. She never wanted you." Shane hissed.

"Not when you were together." Rick said pointedly, and Shane paused. He tilted his head at Rick, thinking hard.

"No. No way, man." He shook his head, standing up and coming face to face with Rick.

"Didn't wanna tell you this way, but you just don't quit, do you? You never knew how to stop."

Shane's face turned red, and he began to tremble with rage. "I don't believe you."

"Shane." Trouble's voice came from the doorway, soft and calm, and they both spun around, surprised. "Shane stop."

He furrowed his brow at her, his look pleading and desperate. "Trouble, tell me it isn't true."

"I'm sorry." She said sadly. "It has nothing to do with you. Or what happened with Lori. It just is."

Shane looked between them both, back and forth, for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he just seemed to crumble before them. Rushing past Trouble and nearly knocking her off her feet, he took off down the hall and through the living room. They heard the elevator ding, and she looked back at Rick.

"Sam heard you. Came and got me. What happened?"

"He confronted me about you, wouldn't stop. I'll go talk to him." He came to stand before her and put his hands on her shoulders, looking at her sadly.

"I don't think so. You might not come back. I'll go. I owe him that." She shook her head, frowning. "Why tonight, Rick? With everything that's going on, why now?"

"It had to happen sometime. I don't think you should go though. I've seen him this angry, you're gonna get hurt."

"He won't hurt me. I know him." She assured him, and turned to leave. She paused, looking back. "Watch, but don't follow. Not unless you really have to, ok?"

"Ok." He nodded worriedly. She was probably right, he and Shane would kill each other right now if they were alone, Shane wouldn't be able to help himself. He'd lost it. Still, he wasn't about to wait around twiddling his thumbs. He scanned every screen, watching for Shane or Trouble. He saw Shane emerge upstairs in the lobby, and thought he was just going to the balcony to cool off, but when he hit the emergency release button on the gate and it slid open, Rick's heart jumped. He was going outside?

Trouble emerged from her bedroom, zipping up the jeans she'd thrown on over her sleeping shorts. When Sam had come and gotten her, she'd known this was going to be bad, but she'd never seen Shane like this and he'd not really been known for being the most level headed before. Tucking the walkie she'd kept with her on her belt, she holstered her weapon and hit the button to the elevator. Shane was probably moping upstairs, angry with the world. She had no idea what she was going to say to him, and was thinking of it when Rick's voice came over her walkie.

"Trouble, he went outside. Don't move, I'm coming." He said, his voice panicked and rushed, and she hit the button to upstairs hard.

"Don't Rick. He won't go far, I got this." The words weren't out of her mouth when she heard the alarm outside go off, and her heart thumped in her chest. "What's he doing?"

"He took the Matrix, he's headed toward the gate. Trouble, stop! Don't go out there!" He cried through the speaker.

"I have to stop him, Rick! He doesn't know what he's doing." She said as the elevator slid to a stop and she raced out of it into the lobby. The gate remained open where Shane had gone out, and she silently cursed. "Get Dean, get Sam. Meet me out here but stay back while I talk to him."

"No! Trouble!" He yelled but she tuned him out. Racing out into the night, she looked around, seeing no sign of Shane, but she could hear the sharp creak of the gate across the yard. Rick had turned off the alarm so it didn't go off again when she emerged. Racing to her Jeep, she threw herself into the driver's seat and tossed the still buzzing walkie on the seat next to her. The engine roared to life and she skidded as she floored it, taking off after the distraught man. He was at the gate on the other side as she topped the hill.

"Shane!" She screamed, seeing that he was locking it behind him. At least he had the presence of mind to do that, but at that moment she wished he didn't. He saw her coming, looked up and met eyes with her across the distance. They both stopped breathing for an instant, and she knew she'd never forget the look of anguish on his face. He turned and got back into his car, zipping away down the road away from her. She skidded to a stop at the gate and launched out of the Jeep. He'd left the key in the gate and she threw it open and ran back. She pulled the Jeep through and debated for a moment, but realized she couldn't leave it open. Not long enough for someone to come behind her, though they were surely doing that at that moment. She was vaguely aware that her walkie had grown in volume, she couldn't process what they were saying though. She had to get to Shane. She made herself stop long enough to lock the gate back and followed him as fast as she could.

"God, Shane. What are you doing?" She mumbled as she reached the town. It wasn't safe, she could see a walker that had made it's way through near the secure buildings to the right. She couldn't see Shane, but she heard the distant crunch of metal to the right, and took off toward it. Breathing heavily, she realized there were more walkers this way, and pulled her gun from her belt. She would have let them go for the moment, but they would follow her and she needed to be sure they didn't do that. Taking aim as she drove, she slowed and pegged two on her right, before speeding back up. Around the bend, she saw the Matrix, stopped at an angle at the barrier to the outside. The barrier that had been breached. She scanned for any sign of Shane, but there was none. Panting now, she felt dizzy. He didn't go out there, he couldn't have. Left his car? Left the safety of the house? Tears sprang into her eyes, but she wiped them away and threw the car into park.

Raising her gun, she fired at two more walkers making their way toward her. One on this side of the barrier, one on the other. She ran as fast as she could and threw herself onto the hood of the nearest car. Another walker was coming, and as she scuttled over the hoods, she fired at it. She was off, hitting it in the shoulder and sending it flying backwards, but it recovered and came toward her again. Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus and fired again, putting it down for good again. Ahead, somewhere, she heard gunfire and a soft cry escaped her lips. She was going in the right direction, but god knows what she would find when she got there.

Rick felt sick as he ran. He'd screamed over the intercom for Sam, Dean, anyone who would listen as he armed himself and prepared to take off after Trouble. She'd completely stopped answering him, and he'd watched her helplessly as she'd taken off after a completely unhinged Shane. He's provoked the man too far, let his anger get the better of him and now he was going to lose Trouble for it. She'd gone out unprepared, just one gun and a walkie, by herself.

"What happened?" Sam asked sleepily as he'd gotten to the door, Dean behind him. Tom had arrived a moment later, ignoring the orders he'd been given but Rick could care less at that moment. When they'd seen Rick's panicked face, they were all immediately alert.

"Shane took off and Trouble went after him." It was all Rick could say, and ignored the questions they began to fire off at him. "She went out there, ok? Shut the hell up and help me!"

Glenn arrived then and kept monitors as they all grabbed boots and guns and went for the elevator. They didn't care then why, they'd figure that out later. They just needed to find her and Shane, and now.

"Where did they go?" Dean asked, his face deadly focused as they ran outside and threw themselves into the SUV.

"Towards the gap. That was the last place I saw her." Rick answered, holding on as they raced away from the house. Sam got the gate and they made their way to the street. There was a walker waiting for them, and Rick got it between the eyes as Dean drove.

"If something happens to her, I'll kill Shane." Dean said. "What the hell was he thinking?"

"He wasn't. He was crazed." Rick said through clenched teeth, scanning the roadway.

"Why? He was fine when we got back." Tom asked from the backseat. Rick clenched his jaw and Sam glanced at Dean through the rearview mirror. There was clearly a lot here Rick wasn't saying.

"I don't know what happened, Rick. But you better pray she's fine." Dean said angrily.

"Don't you think I'm already doing that?" Rick spat back and let out an angry breath. He leaned forward as they rounded the bend and got within eyesight of the barrier. The matrix sat crashed into the barrier, the front right corner smashed up against a brown van. Trouble's Jeep was right behind it, and it was empty.

"Shit." Sam hissed, as they all realized that both Trouble and Shane had completely left the vicinity. They screeched to a stop and got out, Dean and Sam firing on walkers that had drifted too close to the barrier on the other side. There were more out now, and the implications made them all a little sick.

"They took cars." Tom pointed to a couple spaces in the barrier where cars obviously used to be. "At least they're not on foot."

"They will be soon. There's hardly any gas left in these, we took most of it." Sam said, looking as Dean raced to a sedan parked nearby on the other side of the barrier. He pulled a knife from his belt and charged a walker coming toward him, stabbing it through the eye and falling to the ground. Pulling is knife free, he pushed it aside and threw the door to the sedan open. Tossing himself inside, he tried the ignition and it sputtered, but came to life.

"Come on!" He yelled and they followed him, getting in quickly. "It's not going to take us far."

"Long as it gets us somewhere. They've got to be close." Rick breathed, the simple act becoming harder with every passing moment. God, Trouble. Why couldn't you just let him go if this was what he had to do, why kill yourself for a man who couldn't control himself? He wanted to scream, hit something, but instead he just clutched the passenger handle of the car and prayed Dean would go faster.

"Shane!" Trouble screamed his name when she saw him. He had taken a blue SUV from the barrier and driven it down the hill, and she had followed suit in a rusty colored escort. Luckily, the keys had been left inside but it was almost out of gas. She'd prayed it would last long enough for her to find Shane, and it had. But she'd found him standing outside the SUV with a large cut on his head and the vehicle he'd been driving off the road in a ditch. Walkers must have cut him off, made him crash, and they were quickly surrounding him as he drifted away from the wreck. Raising her gun, she fired on the closest two, turning their attention toward her instead. The other three looked at her with milky white hunger and she fired on them too.

"Shane. Come on, please!" She cried out when the gunshots echoed away in the distance, and he shook his head, looking at her from several yards away.

"Why? What does it matter? I never thought you'd do that, not with him."

"Stop it, goddamn it! You're gonna get yourself killed out here. The walkers are still coming!"

"Let 'em!" He blurted, looking at her with panicked desperation. "Let 'em come. I don't care anymore!" Blood from the cut on his head smeared across his face when he wiped at it absently, his eyes frenzied, making him look scary in the moonlight.

"Shane, please." She ran to him and he backed up as she neared, putting his hands up. He still held his gun and she paused, looking at it. He was off the reservation completely now, she had no idea what he would do at that moment and it scared her. "You're scaring me, Shane."

"Go back, Trouble."

"Not without you."

"I can't watch you with him. Not him. Not you. I can't." He shook his head, finally meeting her eyes.

"If we stay out here, we're going to die." She tried to calm her voice. If they remained screaming at each other, they were going to have to deal with a lot more than the handful of walkers left in the vicinity. They would bring down hell on themselves.

"I don't care."

"I do. I love you, Shane, please don't do this." She pleaded.

"You love me?" He balked at her, almost chuckling. "You love me, huh? Funny way of showing it."

"You know I do. I'm sorry I can't tell you I'm in love with you anymore. But I never lied to you about that. I never led you on about that."

"And you never told me you with with Rick. Why him? Why Ian? Why couldn't you love me?" He asked her, his voice growing calmer. He looked at her with a curious, furrowed and frustrated brow. "Why wasn't I good enough for you?"

She looked around, still watching for walkers while she tried to get closer to him without spooking him. "You are good enough, Shane. That was never the problem. You're amazing, such a good man and you deserve so much more."

"But I don't get it." He shook his head, running his eyes over her face. "Why?"

"I don't know. It just... it changed, Shane. I can't help that. I wasn't in love with Ian either, I thought that I was but I wasn't. I didn't even know it until..." She trailed off. This was not what he wanted to hear.

"You're just like Lori. I can't do it anymore." He said softly, disappointment crossing his face.

"All I'm asking you to do," She said softly, holding out her hand to him and inching forward. He clutched at his gun and she hesitated, then looked him in the eye. "Is come back with me. Let's talk about this. At home."

"I'm not going back there." He shook his head.

"Please. What do you want me to do?" She would have promised him the world if it meant he would just move. The walkers were coming closer and they were dangerously low on ammo.

He looked at her with wild eyes. "Love me. That's all I ever wanted."

"I _do_ love you."

"Not like I want you to. You'll go back to him. Or someone else. It'll always be someone else. Just like Lori."

"Stop comparing me to her, Shane. I'm nothing like her. You have to listen to me, ok? We have to get out of here, now." She looked over his shoulder and let out a frightened breath. They were going to be surrounded soon if the walkers kept coming. She aimed past him and dropped the two closest ones. "Shane, please!"

"No." He turned and started to walk away, unbelievable, towards the walkers that were coming up the hill. She was so focused on him that she didn't see the walkers behind her, and the low groan from behind her took her breath away. She cried out when she spun and saw it only steps away, and fired quickly, dropping it where it stood. It fell forward, knocking her off balance.

"Trouble!" She heard Shane scream behind her as she fell to the ground. Kicking and pushing, she shoved the body of the thing off of her and felt his hands on her shoulders. "Did it-"

"No." She shook her head, tears freely running down her face now. At least he seemed a little more aware at that moment. His eyes were terrified, that must have scared him pretty bad. "We have to go."

He swallowed, looking at her intently. She looked past him to the walkers that were now only several hundred feet away. "I'm not going without you." She said softly. "If you kill yourself, you're going to kill me too."

His eyes widened at that, and he looked behind him. Showing the first bit of coherency he had yet, he raised his gun and fired. Four of them, the closest, fell to the ground, and he looked back at her. "Come on." He said softly, grabbing her hand.

Letting out a relieved breath, she clutched at him and they ran back to the sedan. She went right for the driver's side, and he rounded the vehicle. Turning, he fired on another walker coming from the hill, and she threw herself into the seat, starting the car with a roar. She was covered in blood and sweat, and it ran into her eyes. Wiping it free, she realized Shane wasn't in the car yet. Spinning in the seat, she saw him toward the back of the car, leaning down, and heard another gunshot. She slid across the seat and threw the door open, and he turned, coming back to it. He slid in and they locked the doors, the windows rolled tightly up. She turned the wheel and gunned it, hitting two walkers as they approached. The car lurched as she rolled over their bodies and blood splashed against the windshield. She flipped the wipers on and struggled to see as she drove.

"Trouble?" He said softly, and she straightened the car out, finally able to breath. They were free of the walkers, headed back home where they belonged.

"Yeah?" She asked, feeling relief wash over her.

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok. We're good now. We'll be back soon." She nodded, her voice still clipped from fear.

"No, I mean I'm sorry. I am. For everything. I love you, Trouble, I just..."

"I know." She nodded, reaching over and grabbing his hand. It was then she noticed he was holding his arm tightly, his left hand over his right bicep. "Shane?"

"Stop the car." He whispered, and she looked at him with wide, tear filled eyes.

"No."

"You have to. Please baby."

"No, Shane. Please..." She trailed off, a sob escaping her throat. Reaching over, she pulled his hand away and blood poured over her fingers. A large, open gash of a bite mark exposed muscle and tendon in his large arm. "Oh God!"

"It was my fault. If I'd have listened to you..."

"Shane, no." She sobbed, pulling the car to a stop. They were far enough away from the walkers, sitting there alone in the middle of the road. "Why?"

"I guess it was gonna happen sometime."

"It didn't have to. If you hadn't taken off like that. I can't lose you, too, Shane. Not you."

"I'm sorry, baby. You know how much I love you, I'm so sorry. But you have to go."

"I'm not leaving you!" She cried out, and lights flashed in front of them. Dean's SUV was driving toward them at breakneck speed. She ignored it and reached for him, and he wrapped his uninjured arm around her. Pulling her close, he breathed in her hair, her scent.

"They came for you. Tell Rick I'm sorry, baby." He murmured and she sobbed into his neck.

"No, Shane. No, no, no, no-"

"You gotta go, baby. Now. Let me do this. It was my fault."

"No, it was mine. If I hadn't-"

"Stop it. It wasn't you, even if I made you believe that. I tried to hold onto you too hard, it pushed you away and I blamed you and everyone else for that when it was me." He said, and he was completely clearheaded at that moment. Any trace of the crazed man was gone, and he looked at her with such love it broke her heart. "But it's done now. And someday, when you're old and you die in your bed, I'm gonna be waitin' for ya. I'll be there to get you, to bring you home."

She couldn't breath through her tears now, they choked her, made her gasp for air. She was momentarily blinded by them, but she blinked up at him, memorizing his handsome face and the way he was looking at her. He was bleeding so badly he had gone pale, and his breathing was struggled now. It wasn't going to be long.

Leaning back a little, he reached down and got her chin in his hand, pulling her face up to his. He dipped and kissed her, his cool lips pressed firmly against hers, and his eyes closed. She melted into him, knowing this was the last time she would touch him. When they broke, he pushed her back a little. "You have to go."

She couldn't speak, just shook her head, and he looked at her sadly. "Trouble, I don't want you to see this. Please, for me."

Gasping a ragged breath, she nodded, and she heard Dean's SUV screech to a stop in front of them. They seemed to know something was wrong, because they all got out and stepped forward, but paused and watched her and Shane in the car. She nodded, and grabbed his hand, holding it as she scooted back and opened the door. She held onto him till the last moment, when she was totally out of the car and leaning in. Weakly, he squeezed her fingers.

"I love you." He said softly, his eyes not leaving hers.

"I love you too." She whispered, and he nodded for her to go. Her heart broke, but she let go, stepped back, and quietly shut the door. He didn't want her to see this. He didn't want that, and she had to honor that. Turning, she looked at Rick, and his eyes went from her to Shane in the car, and from the corner or her eye she saw the muzzle flash just as she heard the gunshot.

"NOO!" Rick screamed, throwing himself forward and hitting the hood of the car. She fell to her knees, sobbing, and felt arms around her.


End file.
